EU funds boost Caricom trade stats

Staff at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat were introduced to new systems for Merchandise Trade Statistics as efforts continue to provide core, high quality statistics to regional decision-makers.

A consultancy in that regard started this week with a briefing session at the Caricom Secretariat, a press statement from the agency said. The consultancy is being funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Caricom Single Market and Economy and Economic Integration Programme.

“It will build on work done under the Ninth EDF by reinforcing the capacity of the national and Secretariat’s statistical offices to produce and disseminate Merchandise Trade Statistics,” the Caricom Secretariat said.

Sebastien Cadic (centre) Team Leader, Merchandise Trade Statistics Project, ARTEMIS Information Management, makes a point to Marissa Ramotar of the Regional Statistics Programme, CARICOM Secretariat, as her colleagues Deo Persaud and  Joshua Khan look on.
Sebastien Cadic (centre) Team Leader, Merchandise Trade Statistics Project, ARTEMIS Information Management, makes a point to Marissa Ramotar of the Regional Statistics Programme, CARICOM Secretariat, as her colleagues Deo Persaud and Joshua Khan look on.

Support to Merchandise Trade Statistics under the Tenth EDF focuses on the New Eurotrace system for trade data processing and dissemination. This was installed in countries under the Ninth EDF and has been enhanced by Eurostat.

It is expected that under the project the quality of trade data and its processing in member states and at the secretariat will be enhanced as well as its dissemination and analysis. Human resource capacity in the field will also be improved through training of trainers in the New Eurotrace, Comext, Mirror Statistics and Trade Indices Modules.