Abstract
Mexico has been a subscriber of the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) since August 1996, posting its metadata on the Fund’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) in March 1998. Mexico is in observance of the SDDS, meeting the specifications for data coverage, periodicity and timeliness, and the dissemination of advance release calendars. Mexico avails itself of a flexibility option on the timeliness of general government or public sector operations. Appendix I provides an overview of Mexico’s dissemination practices compared with the SDDS. This Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) data module is a reassessment of the exercise conducted in February 2010, but applies an updated framework (IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF May 2012)) and covers the national accounts. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) is responsible for the compilation and dissemination of the national accounts. National accounts statistics are generally of a high quality (see Table 1), and adequate to conduct effective surveillance. The mission found a high degree of quality awareness, professionalism, and integrity at the INEGI.
Overall Assessment
1. Mexico has been a subscriber of the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) since August 1996, posting its metadata on the Fund’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) in March 1998. Mexico is in observance of the SDDS, meeting the specifications for data coverage, periodicity and timeliness, and the dissemination of advance release calendars. Mexico avails itself of a flexibility option on the timeliness of general government or public sector operations. Appendix I provides an overview of Mexico’s dissemination practices compared with the SDDS.
2. This Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) data module is a reassessment of the exercise conducted in February 2010, but applies an updated framework (IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF May 2012)) and covers the national accounts. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) is responsible for the compilation and dissemination of the national accounts. National accounts statistics are generally of a high quality (see Table 1), and adequate to conduct effective surveillance. The mission found a high degree of quality awareness, professionalism, and integrity at the INEGI.
Data Quality Assessment Framework 2012—Summary Results
Data Quality Assessment Framework 2012—Summary Results
| Key to symbols: O = Practice Observed; LO = Practice Largely Observed; LNO =Practice Largely Not Observed; NO = Practice Not Observed; NA = Not Applicable | |
|---|---|
| Datasets | |
| Dimensions/Elements | National Accounts |
| 0. Prerequisites of quality | |
| 0.1 Legal and institutional environment | O |
| 0.2 Resources | LO |
| 0.3 Relevance | O |
| 0.4 Other quality management | O |
| 1. Assurances of integrity | |
| 1.1 Institutional integrity | O |
| 1.2 Transparency | O |
| 1.3 Ethical standards | O |
| 2. Methodological soundness | |
| 2.1 Concepts and definitions | O |
| 2.2 Scope | O |
| 2.3 Classification/sectorization | O |
| 2.4 Basis for recording | LO |
| 3. Accuracy and reliability | |
| 3.1 Source data | LO |
| 3.2 Assessment of source data | O |
| 3.3 Statistical techniques | LO |
| 3.4 Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs | O |
| 3.5 Revision studies | O |
| 4. Serviceability | |
| 4.1 Periodicity and timeliness | O |
| 4.2 Consistency | LO |
| 4.3 Revision policy and practice | LO |
| 5. Accessibility | |
| 5.1 Data accessibility | O |
| 5.2 Metadata accessibility | LO |
| 5.3 Assistance to users | O |
Data Quality Assessment Framework 2012—Summary Results
| Key to symbols: O = Practice Observed; LO = Practice Largely Observed; LNO =Practice Largely Not Observed; NO = Practice Not Observed; NA = Not Applicable | |
|---|---|
| Datasets | |
| Dimensions/Elements | National Accounts |
| 0. Prerequisites of quality | |
| 0.1 Legal and institutional environment | O |
| 0.2 Resources | LO |
| 0.3 Relevance | O |
| 0.4 Other quality management | O |
| 1. Assurances of integrity | |
| 1.1 Institutional integrity | O |
| 1.2 Transparency | O |
| 1.3 Ethical standards | O |
| 2. Methodological soundness | |
| 2.1 Concepts and definitions | O |
| 2.2 Scope | O |
| 2.3 Classification/sectorization | O |
| 2.4 Basis for recording | LO |
| 3. Accuracy and reliability | |
| 3.1 Source data | LO |
| 3.2 Assessment of source data | O |
| 3.3 Statistical techniques | LO |
| 3.4 Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs | O |
| 3.5 Revision studies | O |
| 4. Serviceability | |
| 4.1 Periodicity and timeliness | O |
| 4.2 Consistency | LO |
| 4.3 Revision policy and practice | LO |
| 5. Accessibility | |
| 5.1 Data accessibility | O |
| 5.2 Metadata accessibility | LO |
| 5.3 Assistance to users | O |
3. Macroeconomic statistics are in a period of consolidation after the Law of the National System of Statistical and Geographic Information (LSNIEG), strengthened the legal backing and changed institutional arrangements. The LSNIEG created a national system of statistical and geographic information (SNIEG) overseen by the National Statistical Council, with the support of specialized committees.1 INEGI is an autonomous legal entity separate from the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) that has a clear legal mandate to compile and disseminate data on national accounts and price statistics and that serves as the coordinator of the SNIEG. This more robust institutional framework allows the participants in the SNIEG to take a holistic view of the statistical system and gives INEGI a central role in coordinating the use of common statistical standards across all datasets of national interest.2
4. The ROSC mission assessed the quality of the national accounts statistics at the time of the visit. The mission observed improvements made since 2010 regarding consultation with users, inter-institutional coordination, data coverage, and data accessibility through the improvement of INEGI’s website. The 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for classifying economic activity across public institutions has been introduced, the System of National Accounts 2008 (SCN 2008) has been implemented, and the base year has been updated to 2008.
5. Despite the progress made and envisaged, there is scope for further improvement. The mission identified the need for greater consistency in data recording across agencies and for regular inter-institution reconciliation exercises to resolve data discrepancies. One source of discrepancies is fixed capital formation of state and local governments, which—given the weight that these sub-national units have in the aggregate—may well contribute to the significant divergence between measures of investment in the government finance statistics and in the national accounts. Another discrepancy is between the deficit published by the Finance Ministry and the estimate of government saving and investment in the national accounts. The creation of the SNIEG provides an excellent opportunity to improve this situation, and to proactively respond to emerging issues. Wider adoption of international statistical standards as the manual of Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 would also promote consistency between the SHCP’s and INEGI’s government data.
6. The remainder of this section presents the mission’s main findings, which are presented at the level of the DQAF’s quality dimensions, by agency for the first two dimensions, and across datasets for the remaining four.
Prerequisites of quality and assurances of integrity
7. The LSNIEG establishes that INEGI has the exclusive responsibility for integrating the national accounts (Article 59); has legal backing to collect information for the national accounts (Article 45 (1)); and must safeguard the strict confidentiality of the information provided (Article 37). Further, Article 26 of the Constitution grants INEGI technical and operating autonomy. Resources are adequate at the INEGI, but 32 percent of the staff is contractual; this may affect the continuity of national accounts projects if staff contracts are suddenly not renewed. In addition, there are some resource constraints to maintain the National Survey of Micro-Business (which is planned to be conducted every two years) and the agricultural census (which is planned to be conducted every 10 years) as well as to compile seasonally-adjusted data series in a timely fashion. Consultations with users were conducted as part of the change of the base year project. A portal on the INEGI website exists as a communication channel. Inter-institutional coordination has improved owing to the functioning of the SNIEG committees by topic. INEGI firmly adheres to the principle of objectivity in the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistics. It demonstrates professionalism, is transparent in its policies and practices, and provides guidelines and training to staff on ethical conduct. INEGI’s autonomy guarantees that no government authority has access to its statistics before they are officially released.
8. The methodological soundness of the national accounts is satisfactory, as they generally follow the conceptual advice in the System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA). Economic activities, products, household final consumption expenditure, and government final consumption expenditure are classified following updated international classifications (see Table 3). However, most government transactions at a quarterly frequency are on a cash rather than accrual basis.
Assessment of Data Quality—Dimensions 0 and 1—National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI)
Assessment of Data Quality—Dimensions 0 and 1—National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI)
| 0. Prerequisites of quality | 1. Assurances of integrity |
|---|---|
| Legal and institutional environment The INEGI operates under the LSNIEG, published in April 2008. It has exclusive responsibility for conducting the national census and integrating the system of national accounts (Article 59). Under Article 26 of the Constitution it is a public institution with technical and managerial autonomy. In general, the flow of source data among agencies is timely. There are pre-established calendars for the dissemination of data from surveys and censuses, which are strictly observed. INEGI is the coordinator of the SNIEG, which includes a National Advisory Council and committees by type of statistic, and involves inter-institutional coordination. Confidentiality of individual data is guaranteed by the Second Title, Chapter V of the LSNIEG and by the Federal Law of Administrative Responsibilities of the Public Servants (March 2002). The legal power of INEGI for compiling statistics is clearly set out in Chapter V of the LSNIEG, which refers to the rights and obligations of users and respondents. Article 45 (1) states that “system respondents are obliged to provide accurate and timely data and reports as and when requested.…” The Law also provides penalties for refusing data requests or falsifying information. Resources The human and financial resources allocated to national accounts are in general commensurate with INEGI’s institutional programs although the conduct of the agricultural census and the national survey on micro-business have presented financial issues. Staff attend training courses offered by international organizations. Compensation levels were frozen for some years, affecting the retention of experienced staff, but have been rising annually according to inflation and merit considerations since 2010. Thirty-two percent (32 percent) of staff are on contract, which might affect the continuity of important projects if these contracts are suddenly not renewed. Computing resources and physical infrastructure are adequate. The INEGI seeks to take advantage of modern information technology for the compilation of national accounts. Relevance INEGI made a consultation and a presentation to users on the change of base year of the national accounts to 2008 in 2011 and has a regular process of consultation with main users of national accounts on the needs for recurrent and new information. There is a portal in INEGI website that provides a permanently open communication channel to users for consultations on methodology and conceptual issues. INEGI is updated on the developments in national accounts methodology and compilation techniques through its participation in different international forums. Other quality management Article 3 of the LSNIEG states that the INEGI has the objective of providing to society and to the State quality information that is relevant, trustful and timely, in order to help national development. The SNIEG entails the design of strategic programs (long-term), national programs (6 years), and annual programs with objectives and goals in order to improve and broaden statistical products as well as implement international standards. INEGI seeks expert advice for improving statistics. The standards of quality are designed to enhance efficiency in the use of resources. | Professionalism. Professional competence is the basic principle for recruitment and promotions of the INEGI staff. The choice of sources and methods is governed only by statistical considerations. The INEGI prepares press notes and provides interviews stating its position against the errors of interpretation found, making these notes available to the broad public by means of the web page of the INEGI. Transparency. The press releases indicate that the published data are compiled under the responsibility of the INEGI and in accordance with the LSNIEG. The autonomy conferred to the INEGI guarantees that no government authority has access to the statistics before their release, although a note is sent to the Presidency of the Republic the same day of the release. The data are published in a press release with the logo of the INEGI. When there is a change in the base year of the national accounts, the most recent methodological standards are adopted. Any substantial modification of the source data and/or methodology used is publicized in advance. Ethical standards. The conduct of INEGI’s staff is subject to the norms and sanctions established by the Federal Law on Administrative Responsibilities of the Public Servants and to INEGI’s ethical code issued under Article 7 of the LSNIEG. |
Assessment of Data Quality—Dimensions 0 and 1—National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI)
| 0. Prerequisites of quality | 1. Assurances of integrity |
|---|---|
| Legal and institutional environment The INEGI operates under the LSNIEG, published in April 2008. It has exclusive responsibility for conducting the national census and integrating the system of national accounts (Article 59). Under Article 26 of the Constitution it is a public institution with technical and managerial autonomy. In general, the flow of source data among agencies is timely. There are pre-established calendars for the dissemination of data from surveys and censuses, which are strictly observed. INEGI is the coordinator of the SNIEG, which includes a National Advisory Council and committees by type of statistic, and involves inter-institutional coordination. Confidentiality of individual data is guaranteed by the Second Title, Chapter V of the LSNIEG and by the Federal Law of Administrative Responsibilities of the Public Servants (March 2002). The legal power of INEGI for compiling statistics is clearly set out in Chapter V of the LSNIEG, which refers to the rights and obligations of users and respondents. Article 45 (1) states that “system respondents are obliged to provide accurate and timely data and reports as and when requested.…” The Law also provides penalties for refusing data requests or falsifying information. Resources The human and financial resources allocated to national accounts are in general commensurate with INEGI’s institutional programs although the conduct of the agricultural census and the national survey on micro-business have presented financial issues. Staff attend training courses offered by international organizations. Compensation levels were frozen for some years, affecting the retention of experienced staff, but have been rising annually according to inflation and merit considerations since 2010. Thirty-two percent (32 percent) of staff are on contract, which might affect the continuity of important projects if these contracts are suddenly not renewed. Computing resources and physical infrastructure are adequate. The INEGI seeks to take advantage of modern information technology for the compilation of national accounts. Relevance INEGI made a consultation and a presentation to users on the change of base year of the national accounts to 2008 in 2011 and has a regular process of consultation with main users of national accounts on the needs for recurrent and new information. There is a portal in INEGI website that provides a permanently open communication channel to users for consultations on methodology and conceptual issues. INEGI is updated on the developments in national accounts methodology and compilation techniques through its participation in different international forums. Other quality management Article 3 of the LSNIEG states that the INEGI has the objective of providing to society and to the State quality information that is relevant, trustful and timely, in order to help national development. The SNIEG entails the design of strategic programs (long-term), national programs (6 years), and annual programs with objectives and goals in order to improve and broaden statistical products as well as implement international standards. INEGI seeks expert advice for improving statistics. The standards of quality are designed to enhance efficiency in the use of resources. | Professionalism. Professional competence is the basic principle for recruitment and promotions of the INEGI staff. The choice of sources and methods is governed only by statistical considerations. The INEGI prepares press notes and provides interviews stating its position against the errors of interpretation found, making these notes available to the broad public by means of the web page of the INEGI. Transparency. The press releases indicate that the published data are compiled under the responsibility of the INEGI and in accordance with the LSNIEG. The autonomy conferred to the INEGI guarantees that no government authority has access to the statistics before their release, although a note is sent to the Presidency of the Republic the same day of the release. The data are published in a press release with the logo of the INEGI. When there is a change in the base year of the national accounts, the most recent methodological standards are adopted. Any substantial modification of the source data and/or methodology used is publicized in advance. Ethical standards. The conduct of INEGI’s staff is subject to the norms and sanctions established by the Federal Law on Administrative Responsibilities of the Public Servants and to INEGI’s ethical code issued under Article 7 of the LSNIEG. |
Assessment of Data Quality—Dimensions 2 and 5—National Accounts
Assessment of Data Quality—Dimensions 2 and 5—National Accounts
| 2. Methodological soundness | 3. Accuracy and reliability | 4. Serviceability | 5. Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concepts and definitions. National accounts are compiled following the 2008 SNA. Scope. Annual and quarterly GDP estimates are compiled by the production and expenditure approaches at current and at constant prices. The complete sequence of accounts by institutional sector is annually compiled. The economic territory, production and assets boundary are in accordance with the 2008 SNA. Illegal activities are not included. Classification/sectorization. Economic activities are classified according to the 2007 North America Industry Classification System, compatible with ISIC rev.4. COICOP and COFOG are used to classify household consumption and government expenditures, respectively. Basis for recording. All transactions are recorded in accordance with the valuation principles of the 2008 SNA. Transactions are recorded on accrual basis, except for the quarterly government accounts. Work-in-progress for agriculture is not included in annual estimates. Transactions between establishments from the same enterprise are recorded on a gross basis. | Source data. Mexico has a very comprehensive regular system of censuses and economic surveys. Censuses have a five year frequency; and surveys are conducted with monthly and annual periodicity. Sampling frames are based on the censuses, updated annually. Data on the balance of payments (BOP) are received from BM. Quarterly data on the federal government and the state governments are available but on a cash basis; information on state and local governments is incomplete and not timely. Most samples do not include small enterprises, but there is a special small enterprise survey. Assessment of source data. Appropriate methods are applied to validate the source data. Statistical techniques. Detailed supply and use tables were constructed for the base year of 2008. Quarterly GDP by production is compiled at a quite disaggregated level, ensuring an adequate capture of changes in the production structure. GDP by expenditure is estimated independently, as changes in inventories are directly measured, albeit not in a complete way. Wide use of single indicator method to estimate GDP. The Denton method is used for benchmarking the quarterly data, except for agriculture. The BI of the previous year is used instead of the BI of the fourth quarter of the previous year. Seasonal adjusted data are estimated using the X-12-ARIMA program. Taxes on goods at constant prices are not properly estimated. Imputation methods are not standard for all surveys and the cluster analysis technique is seldom applied. Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs. When detected, discrepancies are investigated and addressed. The supply and use framework is used to make the national accounts data consistent. Revision studies. Revision studies are conducted regularly, but only the most significant revisions are disclosed. Explanations of revisions are inadequate. | Periodicity and timeliness. Periodicity and timeliness of the national accounts exceeds the SDDS requirements. Consistency. Data are consistent for long periods. With each change of the base year, the series are recalculated backward up to the previous base year period; the 2008 base data were recalculated back to 2003 for quarterly data. Quarterly estimates are reconciled with the annual estimates, except for agriculture. National accounts are broadly consistent with the BOP data but there are differences in the classification of services, and differences exist with the government finance statistics. The flow of funds table is not reconciled with that compiled by BM. Revision policy and practice. There is a well-established cycle of production and current revisions, which is known to the general public. In December, a dissemination calendar for the following year is posted on the Internet and disseminated also through the press. Exact release dates are provided a quarter ahead. Quarterly data for the current year are revised with the release of each new quarter. However seasonally-adjusted data are released with a variable lag. Revisions of previous years’ data are made when the first annual estimates are published near the end of the year following the reference period. There is a five-year cycle for changing the base year. | Data accessibility. Quarterly data are simultaneously released in a press release containing an analysis of current-period developments and on the INEGI website. Data on quarterly GDP by production with sufficient breakdown is made available on the website, along with tables of global supply and use of goods and services. Seasonally adjusted GDP series are also published. Detailed annual estimates are compiled, but the published level of detail is not sufficient for many types of analysis and locating some kinds of information on the website can be difficult. More detailed non-confidential data are made available upon request. Metadata accessibility. Metadata is available on the Internet and in INEGI publications, but lacks sufficient detail on compilation methods. Summary methodologies are posted on the IMF’s DSBB and on the OECD website. Assistance to users. Some publications and the INEGI website provide the area, e-mail, telephone number, and address of the unit responsible for preparing the data, and the address and e-mail of the Consultation and Marketing Center. The customer service unit of INEGI monitors users’ requests through INEGI website and provides a prompt response. |
Assessment of Data Quality—Dimensions 2 and 5—National Accounts
| 2. Methodological soundness | 3. Accuracy and reliability | 4. Serviceability | 5. Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concepts and definitions. National accounts are compiled following the 2008 SNA. Scope. Annual and quarterly GDP estimates are compiled by the production and expenditure approaches at current and at constant prices. The complete sequence of accounts by institutional sector is annually compiled. The economic territory, production and assets boundary are in accordance with the 2008 SNA. Illegal activities are not included. Classification/sectorization. Economic activities are classified according to the 2007 North America Industry Classification System, compatible with ISIC rev.4. COICOP and COFOG are used to classify household consumption and government expenditures, respectively. Basis for recording. All transactions are recorded in accordance with the valuation principles of the 2008 SNA. Transactions are recorded on accrual basis, except for the quarterly government accounts. Work-in-progress for agriculture is not included in annual estimates. Transactions between establishments from the same enterprise are recorded on a gross basis. | Source data. Mexico has a very comprehensive regular system of censuses and economic surveys. Censuses have a five year frequency; and surveys are conducted with monthly and annual periodicity. Sampling frames are based on the censuses, updated annually. Data on the balance of payments (BOP) are received from BM. Quarterly data on the federal government and the state governments are available but on a cash basis; information on state and local governments is incomplete and not timely. Most samples do not include small enterprises, but there is a special small enterprise survey. Assessment of source data. Appropriate methods are applied to validate the source data. Statistical techniques. Detailed supply and use tables were constructed for the base year of 2008. Quarterly GDP by production is compiled at a quite disaggregated level, ensuring an adequate capture of changes in the production structure. GDP by expenditure is estimated independently, as changes in inventories are directly measured, albeit not in a complete way. Wide use of single indicator method to estimate GDP. The Denton method is used for benchmarking the quarterly data, except for agriculture. The BI of the previous year is used instead of the BI of the fourth quarter of the previous year. Seasonal adjusted data are estimated using the X-12-ARIMA program. Taxes on goods at constant prices are not properly estimated. Imputation methods are not standard for all surveys and the cluster analysis technique is seldom applied. Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs. When detected, discrepancies are investigated and addressed. The supply and use framework is used to make the national accounts data consistent. Revision studies. Revision studies are conducted regularly, but only the most significant revisions are disclosed. Explanations of revisions are inadequate. | Periodicity and timeliness. Periodicity and timeliness of the national accounts exceeds the SDDS requirements. Consistency. Data are consistent for long periods. With each change of the base year, the series are recalculated backward up to the previous base year period; the 2008 base data were recalculated back to 2003 for quarterly data. Quarterly estimates are reconciled with the annual estimates, except for agriculture. National accounts are broadly consistent with the BOP data but there are differences in the classification of services, and differences exist with the government finance statistics. The flow of funds table is not reconciled with that compiled by BM. Revision policy and practice. There is a well-established cycle of production and current revisions, which is known to the general public. In December, a dissemination calendar for the following year is posted on the Internet and disseminated also through the press. Exact release dates are provided a quarter ahead. Quarterly data for the current year are revised with the release of each new quarter. However seasonally-adjusted data are released with a variable lag. Revisions of previous years’ data are made when the first annual estimates are published near the end of the year following the reference period. There is a five-year cycle for changing the base year. | Data accessibility. Quarterly data are simultaneously released in a press release containing an analysis of current-period developments and on the INEGI website. Data on quarterly GDP by production with sufficient breakdown is made available on the website, along with tables of global supply and use of goods and services. Seasonally adjusted GDP series are also published. Detailed annual estimates are compiled, but the published level of detail is not sufficient for many types of analysis and locating some kinds of information on the website can be difficult. More detailed non-confidential data are made available upon request. Metadata accessibility. Metadata is available on the Internet and in INEGI publications, but lacks sufficient detail on compilation methods. Summary methodologies are posted on the IMF’s DSBB and on the OECD website. Assistance to users. Some publications and the INEGI website provide the area, e-mail, telephone number, and address of the unit responsible for preparing the data, and the address and e-mail of the Consultation and Marketing Center. The customer service unit of INEGI monitors users’ requests through INEGI website and provides a prompt response. |
9. Accuracy and reliability of national accounts data are generally adequate and have improved since 2010. Source data and statistical techniques are sound and most statistical outputs sufficiently portray reality. A broad range of source data are available, with economic censuses every five years and a vast program of monthly and annual surveys. For most surveys, scientific sampling techniques are used and standard errors and confidence intervals are released, but imputation methods differ among surveys and the cluster analysis technique is seldom applied. The coverage of state and local government data has limitations. Changes in inventories data are no longer obtained as residuals, as survey data on inventories in manufacturing, mining and petroleum industries are used to compile estimates. There are still some weaknesses, however. Agriculture is not benchmarked to the annual data since the agricultural work-in-progress is estimated quarterly but not in the annual estimates. The average benchmark-to-indicator ratio (BI) of the previous year is used for aligning quarterly estimates to annual data instead of the BI of the fourth quarter of the previous year. Using the BI ratio of the previous year creates a step problem in the first quarter.
10. The estimates of changes in inventories are incomplete because raw materials inventories and inventories held in wholesale and retail trade are not included; these omissions may be contributing to the size of the statistical discrepancy. Single indicator methods with fixed coefficients applied to volumes are used to estimate value added for goods-producing industries, although double deflation is used for services. Taxes and subsidies on products at constant prices are estimated by applying the GDP growth rate, a deviation from best practice.
11. While the serviceability of data has improved since 2010, further improvements are still needed in two areas. First, there is a pressing need to improve consistency across datasets, not least because the reconciliation of data does not appear to be done on a regular basis. Second, there is a general need to provide more information to users on sources of revisions, a conclusion clearly supported by user consultations. Data are available with adequate periodicity and timeliness, and sometimes exceed, SDDS requirements, with the exception of the timeliness of general government operations. Beyond the SDDS specifications, the timeliness of the annual integrated economic accounts by institutional sector has improved, but still needs improvement.
12. Accessibility of the data is better than in 2010. Most notably, there has been a marked improvement in the assistance to users in a timely manner and in the range and detail of the indicators that are released. Time series can easily be downloaded from the INEGI website, and key statistics are presented in easy to find tables and charts. Nevertheless, the detail on actual compilation practices provided in the metadata is insufficient and locating some kinds of information on the website can be difficult.
13. Section II provides a summary assessment based on a four-part scale. A summary of users’ views is shown in Section III. This is followed by staff recommendations in Section IV. Practices compared to the SDDS are summarized in Appendix I. The authorities’ response to this report and a volume of detailed assessments are presented in separate documents.
Assessment by Agency and Dataset
14. Assessment of the quality of—national accounts,—was conducted using the DQAF, May 2012. In this section, the results are presented at the level of the DQAF elements and using a four-point rating scale (Table 1). Assessments of the prerequisites of data quality and the assurances of integrity (Dimensions “0” and “1” of the DQAF) are presented in Tables 2a–c. For each dataset, the assessment of methodological soundness, accuracy and reliability, serviceability, and accessibility (Dimensions “2” to “5” of the DQAF) are shown in Tables 3a–f.
Users’ Views
15. With the assistance of INEGI, the Data ROSC mission conducted a survey of users of Mexico’s national accounts statistics to obtain their views on the quality of these statistics. Twenty six responses were received from representatives of the private sector, commercial banks, consulting companies, academic institutions, and government agencies. The survey used a questionnaire developed by IMF staff. As a complement to the survey, the mission had two general meetings with about ten users, all organized by INEGI.
16. Overall, users were generally satisfied with the quality of national accounts statistics. Respondents felt that the official statistics of Mexico are better (79 percent) or at least as good as (8 percent) those of other countries in the region.
17. Most respondents found it easy to access data, reaching an average level of satisfaction of 81 percent. The respondents indicated that the official statistics most used were prices and national accounts. The majority of respondents obtain official statistics from official press releases and statistical publications, and 88 percent indicated that they refer to official descriptions of the sources and methods. Respondents use official statistics mainly for research, comparison with economic developments in other countries, econometric models and projections, and for analysis of current development for short-term decision making.
18. In terms of the different elements of data quality, 88 percent of the respondents believe the coverage of the national accounts is satisfactory and 81 percent think the detail and frequency of the data are satisfactory. Most respondents (85 percent) were also generally satisfied with the methodological soundness of national accounts. There were medium scores (58 percent) regarding the availability of information on revisions and most respondents indicated access to the national accounts through the Internet.
19. In the meetings with users and written comments, the mission found a generally positive attitude towards the work of the INEGI, but there were some comments on the long lags in the release of the seasonally-adjusted data and their inconsistency issues (monthly, quarterly and annual), the lack of availability of sufficient long time series data, the lack of timeliness of the indicator of quarterly regional gross domestic product in some instances, information about significant revisions, and lack of quarterly regional gross domestic product. Also, on website design some users expressed difficulty in finding primary sources and specific information on metadata.
Staff Recommendations
20. Based on the review of Mexico’s statistical practices, discussions with the INEGI, and responses from data users (see Appendix III of the Detailed Assessment volume), the mission developed a set of recommendations. These are designed to increase further Mexico’s adherence to internationally accepted statistical practices and would, in the mission’s view, enhance the analytical usefulness of the national accounts statistics. Some additional technical suggestions are included in the Detailed Assessments volume.
Cross-cutting recommendations
Conduct regular reconciliation exercises to verify consistency among the macroeconomic datasets; in particular, between government finance and national accounts statistics.
Work with the Bank of Mexico (BM) to maintain consistency as BM makes changes in the BOP statistics to conform with the sixth edition of the Balance of Payments and International Position Manual.
National accounts
Assign the compilation of seasonally adjusted series of national accounts to the National Accounts Directorate (DCN) in order to avoid delays in the publication of these series and improve the consistency of these series and analysis of the results.
Include a module on monthly/quarterly costs for the agricultural cycle (sowing, growth, and harvest) in the 2014 Agricultural Survey for important crops in order to obtain the data to calculate quarterly agricultural work-in-progress.
Standardize the imputation methods across surveys and use the cluster analysis technique (the percentage change of the data from an establishment with similar size and technology in the same economic activity and geographic area, if available; if not, the percentage change of the activity class for the current period).
Explain in more detail the compilation methods and the causes of revisions to the national accounts data in INEGI’s national accounts publications.
Develop a complete set of measures of changes in inventories by bringing in the trade industries and raw materials and by collecting data in quarterly surveys. Incorporate inventory valuation adjustments into procedures for making current price estimates of production or expenditures, as appropriate.
Undertake research on the need for under-reporting adjustments for data from household surveys on income from informal activities and some kinds of expenditures.
In the quarterly accounts, develop methods to measure quarterly government consumption on an accrual basis and to make sure that estimates of government investment reflect changes in work-in-progress.
Include questions on intermediate inputs that can be used in monthly surveys of manufacturing industries to improve the quarterly and preliminary annual estimates of intermediate inputs.
In calculating financial intermediation services indirectly measured (FISIM), include the opening balance in the average stock of loans or deposits. In the case of subsidized loans from the Development Banks, measure the output of FISIM based on arms-length rates charged on similar loans to calculate the subsidy on the interest rate and record a current transfer from the Development Bank to the government to finance the subsidy.
Develop complete estimates of consumption of fixed capital (CFC) for general government. Include the CFC expense in the measure of government output (and the measure of output of nonmarket producers whose output is based on expenses).
Calculate the volume index for net taxes on products in a way that takes account of changes in the mix of products subject to the taxes. Either apply volume indexes for each type of good or import subject to taxes (or subsidies) to separate base year estimates of the net taxes from each type of good or import, or estimate volume measures of taxes/subsidies on products by applying base-year-tax/subsidy rates to the volume of transactions subject to a specific tax/subsidy.
In the annual accounts for agriculture, develop estimates of carry-over work-in-progress for short-lived crops with the help of improved annual survey procedures. This will allow agriculture to be included in the benchmarking of quarterly to the annual data.
Use the BI ratio of the fourth quarter of the previous year to avoid a step problem in the first quarter.
Put in place procedures to ensure consistency between seasonally-adjusted estimates. The identification of outliers or other events treated as irregulars and other assumptions and options used in estimating seasonal factors should be consistent across time series. The decisions made in estimating the seasonally adjusted series and economic meaningfulness of the results from the seasonal adjustment process should be reviewed for reasonableness by an economist with expertise in national accounts.
Calculate balanced supply and use tables on a yearly basis to verify the internal consistency of the accounts.
Investigate inconsistencies between the capital accounts and the financial accounts.
To provide a specific explanation of the difference between general government saving and investment in the national accounts and the deficit and investment figures published by the Ministry of Finance, publish a reconciliation showing the sources of differences jointly with the SHCP.
Publish more detailed information on products and on expenditures of households as estimated in the framework of the national accounts.
National accounts series are sometimes hard to locate on the website, and users may not even be aware of what is available. The website functionality should be improved, and an index by keyword of the available SCNM series should be available on the website. Significant newly available data should receive additional publicity.
Establish and announce a schedule for publishing the seasonally adjusted data.
Provide detailed information on calculation procedures, either in the metadata documents or in analytical background papers or working papers to help sophisticated users to understand and interpret the data.
Post responses to the most common questions on a national accounts “frequently asked questions” (FAQ) page.
Appendix I. Practices Compared to the SDDS Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness of Data
| Mexico ( MEX ) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDDS Data Category | Coverage (meets SDDS) | Periodicity | Timeliness | Comments (Flexibility Options, etc.) | ||
| SDDS | MEX | SDDS | MEX | |||
| Yes | Q | Q | 1Q | 53D | ||
| Yes | M | M | 6W (1M encouraged) | NLT 42D | ||
| No | M or Q | M | 1M or 1Q | 3W NLT 8D | Synthetic index is disseminated with 65D lag | |
| Yes | Q | M | 1Q | NLT 25D | ||
| Yes | Q | M | 1Q | NLT 25D | ||
| Yes | Q | M | 1Q | 2M | ||
| Yes | M | F | 1M | 10D | ||
| Yes | M | M | 1M | NLT 10D | ||
| Mexico ( MEX ) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDDS Data Category | Coverage (meets SDDS) | Periodicity | Timeliness | Comments (Flexibility Options, etc.) | ||
| SDDS | MEX | SDDS | MEX | |||
| Yes | Q | Q | 1Q | 53D | ||
| Yes | M | M | 6W (1M encouraged) | NLT 42D | ||
| No | M or Q | M | 1M or 1Q | 3W NLT 8D | Synthetic index is disseminated with 65D lag | |
| Yes | Q | M | 1Q | NLT 25D | ||
| Yes | Q | M | 1Q | NLT 25D | ||
| Yes | Q | M | 1Q | 2M | ||
| Yes | M | F | 1M | 10D | ||
| Yes | M | M | 1M | NLT 10D | ||
For the subsystem of economic information, the specialist committees comprise representatives of the INEGI, the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), the Bank of Mexico (BM), the Ministry of Economy, and the relevant ministries and public institutions by area (macroeconomic information, energy, tourism, agriculture, science and technology, and employment).
The mission understands that the datasets of national interest include national accounts, price statistics and the results of several surveys.