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These OECD Electronic Discussion Groups (EDG) are the communication tools related to task forces specialising in new emerging issues of National Accounts. They are open to official statisticians interested. However, they can only be accessed through prior registration. To register and obtain a password, please send an email to the secretariat.
EDG on Managing the compilation of supply and use tables
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/COMNET/STD/SupplyUse.nsf?OpenDatabase
Moderator: Charles Aspden
Secretariat: Marie Viriat
The 1993 SNA recommends that national accounts estimates should be compiled in a supply and use framework. Such a framework enables estimates of supply to be confronted with estimates of use (in effect GDP derived using the production approach with GDP derived using the expenditure approach) in current and constant prices by commodity group, and estimates of production with estimates of income (i.e. GDP derived using the production approach with GDP derived using the income approach) at current prices by industry of activity. The identification and resolution of imbalances leads to both better quality estimates and estimates that are internally consistent. Some countries have been applying this approach for the compilation of their annual national accounts for many years, and a few have been using it to compile their quarterly accounts also. Estimates from the annual supply and use tables are typically used to provide benchmarks for the quarterly, and sometimes monthly, estimates. However, they can also be used for other purposes, such as productivity analyses when integrated with labour and capital input data.
At the meeting of the OECD Working Party on National Accounts in October 2004 several papers were presented on country experiences in managing the compilation of supply and use tables for the purpose of deriving annual and quarterly national accounts estimates. During the subsequent discussion, it became evident that many countries shared the same problems in compiling supply and use tables and maintaining them over long periods of time. It would be to the benefit of all if country experiences with these problems and how they have been overcome could be shared. Accordingly, it was decided that this exchange of information could be facilitated by an EDG.
EDG on "SNA industry top level aggregation"
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/COMNET/STD/sna.nsf?OpenDatabase
Moderator: William Cave
Secretariat: Marie Viriat - Isaac Lagnado
This EDG is devoted to the development of two ISIC rev 4 aggregations for the reporting of internationally comparable national accounts production data by activity (a Top-top aggregation of around 9-10 groups and an Intermediate aggregation of around 30-40 groups) . The aggregations should be suitable for the main analytical purposes, be supportable by OECD member countries, and for the top-top structure, to the extent possible, be largely supportable by non-member countries. A firm proposal should be developed by summer 2005. It is an aspiration to include the aggregations in the 2007 updating of SNA.
EDG on harmonisation of general government accounts
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/COMNET/STD/harmonise.nsf?OpenDatabase
Moderator: Jean-Pierre Dupuis
Secretariat: Marie Viriat
This EDG is devoted to the convergence of national accounts and public finance (IFAC-PSC, IMF GFS) standards for the recording of the accounts of the general government and the public sector. The output of the EDG will be concrete proposals for change of the SNA in the context of the review of the 1993 SNA. This output will take the format of a special chapter of the SNA devoted to the description of general government and public sector accounts and their specific transactions.
EDG on capital stocks, capital services and intangibles in the National accounts
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/std/capstock.nsf
Moderators: Charles Aspden
Secretariat: Marie Viriat
This EDG (dubbed "Canberra II") is devoted to discussions on Capital Stocks, Capital Services and Intangibles in the National Accounts. This task force can be considered as a continuation of the Canberra group, with a specific priority on a reassessment of the coverage and treatment of intangible assets.
EDG on financial services in the National Accounts
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/COMNET/STD/FinService.nsf?OpenDatabase
Moderator: Anders Nordin
Secretariat: Marie Viriat
This EDG is devoted to discussions on Financial Services in the National Accounts. The business of financial rations has undergone a structural transformation towards a rising importance of the portfolio management of financial assets. This generates holding gains and losses, that, typically, national accounts exclude from the production boundary and therefore income. The task force will consider whether and how the production boundary can be adapted to this rising activity, and how this could influence income.
EDG on the Measurement of software in National Account
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/std/software.nsf
Moderator: François Lequiller
Secretariat: Marie Viriat
This EDG is devoted to discussions on the implementation of the SNA 93 recommendation to capitalize software. Studies have shown that statistical offices have varied considerably in the practical measurement of GFCF in software, with a significant impact on GDP. The objective of this joint OECD/Eurostat task force was to produce a set of recommendations that will lead to better international comparability. The task force has delivered its conclusions and the final report is available on the EDG, but also on the OECD website.
EDG in Treatment of Non-life Insurance in National Account
http://webdomino1.oecd.org/std/inservice.nsf
Moderator: François Lequiller
Secretariat: Marie Viriat
This EDG is devoted to discussions on the measurement of non-life insurance services, with a special focus on the treatment of catastrophic losses. The output of insurance services as calculated using the SNA 93 algorithm depends on the balance of premiums to claims (on an accrual basis) and can therefore appear extremely volatile (even negative) following major catastrophes. The massive claims generated by the 11 September terrorist attack, is a recent example. It had impacts on GDP and balance of payments (reinsurance). The objective of the task force was to propose measures that would be more consistent with the perception of production in this activity. In particular, medium to long-term aspects of non life insurance are to be taken into consideration. The task force has delivered its final recommendations and the final report is available on the EDG, but also on our web site.
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