A property price index and forthcoming developments in national accounts system are potential avenues of collaboration that the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) is exploring with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This was mentioned by iGA chief executive Mohammed Al Qaed after a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) director of statistics and chief statistician Bert Kroese on the sidelines of the 9th Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) Global Conference.

Expressing the iGA’s readiness to closely monitor the international efforts led by the IMF to enhance this system, Mr Al Qaed said the authority hoped to benefit from collaborative efforts with the IMF and various nations in developing essential systems and tools in utilising data for statistical purposes.

This data is crucial for exchange, management, governance, and analysis by data producers and users, he explained.

Mr Al Qaed also expressed appreciation for the IMF’s numerous contributions in this domain.

Praising the IMF;s efforts to improve technical and statistical systems in various countries and its eagerness to collaborate with Bahrain in the field of statistics, the official said the collaboration is essential to staying up to date with the latest SDMX advancements to better serve the statistics and information sectors.

The meeting delved into the latest technologies and tools that can be used to improve cooperation.

The iGA chief highlighted the significant and advanced technologies employed in Bahrain, which have helped integrate government operations and generate accurate and comprehensive statistics using administrative records.

He highlighted key initiatives undertaken by the iGA in recent years, including the formation of population, address, and establishments’ registries, all of which have enhanced services and data integration.

Meanwhile, top officials from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also discussed cooperation in hosting statistics events on both the regional and international levels, enhancing awareness of the latest developments in the industry, and enhancing the position of the two countries in various arenas.

This came about as Mr Al Qaed met Saudi Arabia General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) president Dr Fahd AlDossari on the sidelines of the SDMX Global Conference.

The iGA chief expressed his appreciation to Dr AlDossari for his keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the conference, adding that the event addressed the mechanisms employed in official statistics and the importance of exchanging statistical and descriptive data.

Both parties discussed joint coordination, highlighting achievements in the field of statistics, especially with the execution of national surveys and researches.

Mr Al Qaed showcased Bahrain’s accomplishments in conducting population censuses over the years, including its success in using administrative records for the 2020 census, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He expressed the iGA’s readiness to share this experience and the factors which led to its success with their counterparts at GASTAT.

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