Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa is contending with an unprecedented health and economic crisis—one that, in just a few months, has jeopardized years of hard-won development gains and upended the lives and livelihoods of millions.
THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND, a former British protectorate, gained self-government in 1967 and independence on September 6, 1968. The country occupies an area of about 6,700 square miles in southeast Africa (see map on p. 391). Albeit a landlocked country, the eastern part of Swaziland lies within 40 miles of the Indian Ocean. The seaport of Lourenço Marques in Mozambique is 130 miles northeast of Manzini, which is the centrally located economic hub of Swaziland. Johannesburg is some 240 miles to the west.
This technical assistance (TA) mission on Government Finance Statistics (GFS) was conducted during July 6-12, 2022. The main purpose of the mission was to review the progress made by the authorities in implementing previous TA recommendations and provide further support to strengthen the compilation and dissemination of GFS in line with international standards set out in the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014).
This 2002 Article IV Consultation highlights that real GDP growth for Swaziland fell from 7¾ percent annually during the 1980s to 3¾ percent during the 1990s. In 2001, growth declined further to 1.8 percent, reflecting a fall in export demand associated with the economic slowdown in South Africa, foreign disinvestment in some industries, and poor weather. Economic activity appears to have weakened further in 2002, with manufacturing output showing the effects of additional closures by foreign firms and agricultural output being affected by the drought in the region.