Presented by Jeanne Majella Louis

Third Meeting of the Working Group on International Classifications (GTCI)

Bogota Colombia, August 4 - 7, 2014

Progress on Implementation of Classifications in Saint

Lucia

Outline of Presentation

Areas where Classifications Systems are used within the Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Other Agencies using classifications Update/progress on the

implementation of classification systems (ISIC,ISCO, CPC etc)

Use of Classifications Systems within the CSO

Population and Housing Census (ISCO,ISIC)

Labor Force Surveys(ISCO,ISIC) Wages and Hours worked Survey

(ISCO,ISIC) Labor Market Needs Assessment

Survey(ISCO,ISIC)

Household Expenditure Survey Survey of living Conditions

Use of Classifications Systems within the CSO

Household Expenditure Survey (ISCO, ISIC, COICOP, CPC)

Survey of living Conditions(ISCO, ISIC)

Business Register (ISIC) Industrial Production Statistics (ISIC,

CPC)

Use of Classifications Systems within the CSO

National Accounts (ISIC, CPC; slucom, Saint Lucia’s adaptation/102 products)

(COICOP adapted, COFOG, SITC) Consumer Price index/International

Comparison Project Foreign Trade Statistics (HS, SITC) Other Socio – Economic Surveys

Other agencies using classification systems

Inland Revenue Department (ISIC - needs assistance) CSO to help

National Insurance Cooperation(Social Security) ISIC

Ministry of Commerce (ISIC, SITC) Registrar of Companies (ISIC)

Agencies who need to implement classification

systems

Ministry of Health (ISCO,Classification of diseases….??? )

Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries (ISIC, ISCO, CPC??)needs assistance from CSO

Ministry of Sustainable Development and Environment (ISIC, SITC/HS, CPC??

Needs assistance from CSO

Update

New initiative: redesigning of Business Register to using mainly data from administrative Records IRD, NIC, CSO….

(technical assistance provided by Statistics Canada) Update of Supply and Use Table

(technical assistance provided by CARTAC; data collection in progress)

Update

Sustainable Household Data Collection Programme (SDP) for the Measurement of Living Standards in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Goal - improvement of the frequency and quality of information available on living conditions in the region. The SDP proposal consists of a five-year survey cycle utilizing the OECS Labour Force Survey as the core Household Survey.

Business Register Project

CSO to assist IRD in use of ISIC (not done previously)

Confidentiality issues Labor Intensive - combination of

electronic and manual data collection (strain on resources of CSO)

Project to update SUT

SUT Framework dependent on the use of many classification systems):

ISIC SITC (Foreign Trade Data manually

coded to CPC ?) CPC COICOP AND COFOG (Products of

Final demand classifications to be coded to CPC)

Project to update SUT

Slu Com - Saint Lucia’s adaptation of CPC The number of commodities

articulated is a function of the characteristic of the economy but is as detailed as possible to facilitate balancing the supply and demand of products

Adaptation to be comparable toproducts in last SUT

Project to update SUT

Demand for new Data Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) Cultural Satellite Accounts Environment Accounts (SEEA)

ISIC rev 4

This is the classification system which is used most by the CSO and it’s supporting agencies in the statistical system Only CSO staff has experience in the

use of ISIC

ISCO

The ISCO is used by the CSO in its detailed form (LFS, coding work permits)

Coding is done through the use of a drop down menu

An adaptation of the ISCO to suit the occupations found in Saint Lucia would make coding easier (any assistance or guidance on how to proceed will be accepted )

CPC

Saint Lucia uses an adaptation of CPC - Slucom

It’s use presents a great challenge to the CSO (constantly engaged in the exercise of coding and converting other classifications into CPC) (SITC, COICOP, COFOG)

Use of concordence/correlation tables (to guide the coding process)

General Comments

The correct use of Classification Systems by CSO and other agencies is one of the most important issues facing the CSO

Comparability of Slucom product groupings

Inclusion of examples in all manuals and training materials

Proper documentation of problematic areas and issues

General Comments

The establishment of a focal points within all agencies in the Statistical System

The inclusion of National Account Statisticians in all discussions, training, encouraged to join the GTCI forum etc.

General Comments

Smaller Statistics Offices encounter both financial and human resource constraints; - no units responsible for classifications - no persons on staff trained in the use of classifications systems

- inhouse training using the knowledge and experience of all staff who presently use or have used classifications systems

General Comments

Importance of training (all available methods)

Central Statistics Office Other agencies using the

Classification Systems

Way Forward

Saint Lucia CSO welcomes any recommendations (GTCI, ILO UNSD etc. that will assist in the implementation of our new work programs)

Grateful for the opportunity to be a member of this working group

Thank You

Gracias amigos ?