Controversy over the reliability of figures given by the Government: Macky Sall enters the debate

The President of the Republic, chaired yesterday, Thursday, July 2, the ceremony of official publication of the results of the project of renovation of the national accounts Macky Sall took the opportunity to engage in the debate on the reliability of the statistics provided by his government, according to him, we can interpret statistical data as we want, but we can not question the foundations that characterize statistical study, sampling and calculation methods

Following the exit of the Minister of Economy, Finance and Amadou Ba plan on the controversy over the veracity of the government figures, the president of The Macky Sall Republic has just closed the debate, according to which we can interpret statistical data as we wish, but we can question the foundations that characterize the statistical study.

"Since November 2017, Senegal has been the fourth country in sub-Saharan Africa to adhere to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standard. I am all the more happy that this could sometimes put an end to the sterile controversy over statistics. Statistics is the business of professionals. We can interpret statistical data as we wish. But we can not question the very foundations that characterize the statistical study, the sampling, the methods of calculation are science, mathematics. We can not put politics in science, "he said yesterday, Thursday, July 12 at the opening ceremony of publication of the results of the project to renovate the national accounts.

Continuing, he says; "We can now say that we do not agree on the figures given. Still, it would be necessary to be able to prove why you do not agree. So this performance is the result of a strong political will and the combined efforts of the different structures involved in the implementation of this standard of dissemination of statistics. "

According to the Head of State, the national agency of statistics and demography (Ansd) which is the keystone of the national statistical system has managed to ensure the production of data to international standards both in terms of quality and in terms of time. In this dynamic, it asks the government to accelerate the process of setting up a statistical development fund highly recommended by the National Council of Statistics.

Returning on the change of base year of the accounts Macky Sall argues that this project will enable Senegal to bring its statistical capabilities into line with the best international standards.

"Our country has just updated its national accounts and developed a new base year in line with the accounting system. United Nations. With this change in the base year, Senegal constructed the national accounts for the base year 2014. These national accounts made it possible, among other things, to better measure the contribution of the various activities to the gross domestic product, to better measure the expenditures of the country. consumption, public and private investment and the share of wealth created by each category of economic agent, "he said. In addition, he adds, the 2015 and 2016 national accounts have been completed, thus making it possible to assess the recent trajectory of the Senegalese economy with better data.

For him, the production of updated statistical data on GDP, national income and other macroeconomic indicators combined with social data, such as employment data, help monitor progress more effectively. According to Macky Sall, the efficient use of these new room for maneuver requires raising the challenge of tax revenue mobilization.

"National tax potentials must be better exploited to avoid the creation of new taxes or higher taxes. of existing ones already, "he concluded.

Renovation of national accounts: GDP stood at 9775 billion in 2014 basis

The National Agency for Statistics and Demography Ansd comes set up a new base year of national accounts. Thus, the new base year 2014 replaces that of 1999. At the end of the renovation of the national accounts, the gross domestic product (GDP) came out in volume at 9776 billion CFA francs in 2014, it is revised by 2220 billion 29.4% compared to the 1999 base. According to the Director General of Ansd, Babacar Ndir who presented yesterday, Thursday, July 12 the results of the change of the base year of the national accounts, this forecast to the increase in GDP is mainly due to the extension of the coverage of GDP and to methodological improvements for 26.4% and the adaptation of new concepts and accounting methods to 3%.

According to the Director General of the forecast and economic policies, Pierre Ndiaye, this change in the base year of national accounts has an impact on the tax burden. "We were among the best with a tax pressure of 20% with the old base but with the new base of the GDP that goes up, we see that the tax burden becomes very low and around 15 to 16%. Which means that we have a major challenge to meet if we want to meet the criteria of UEMOA which is 20%, "he said.

This requires, according to him, the continuation of the rationalization of tax expenditures, further simplification of the tax system, but also the modernization of tax and customs administrations, which will widen the tax base. (SudOnline)