core sector communique

The Royal Kingdom of Bhutan Begins Participation in IMF’s General Data Dissemination System

May 11, 2010

Bhutan began participating in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) on May 11, 2010, marking a major step forward in the development of its statistical system. Comprehensive information on Bhutan’s statistical production and dissemination practices now appears on the IMF’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board .

To mark the occasion, Mr. Daw Tenzin, Managing Director of the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan, noted: “Bhutan is committed to using the IMF’s General Data Dissemination System as a general framework to continue developing the national statistical system consistent with best international practices. The participation of Bhutan in the GDDS will also lead to the production and dissemination of more reliable and timely statistics.”

Ms. Adelheid Burgi-Schmelz, Director of the IMF Statistics Department, welcomed Bhutan’s participation in the GDDS and observed: “Bhutan’s participation in the GDDS is a major milestone in the country’s statistical development. I am confident that Bhutan will benefit from using the GDDS as a framework for further development of its statistical system.”

The GDDS was established by the IMF in 1997. It provides a framework to help countries to develop their statistical systems to produce comprehensive and accurate statistics for policymaking and analysis. Bhutan is the 98^th GDDS participant (excluding the countries that have graduated from the GDDS to the SDDS).