ECOWAS Common Database Launched

Fri, May 30, 2014
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Africa, BREAKING NEWS

The Economic Community of West African States has launched a common database in Bamako, Mali, to harmonise statistical information to facilitate economic integration in the region  

THE Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Common Database, ECOBASE, which is to be operationalised and implemented by member states, has been launched at a four-day meeting which opened in Bamako, Mali, on Friday, May 30. The database already endorsed by regional ministers in charge of statistics and adopted by the council of ministers last December, is in line with the ECOWAS Commission’s quest to harmonise statistical information required for economic decision-making, policy formulation and regional integration.

The Bamako meeting, which brings together representatives of the 15 ECOWAS member states’ Central Banks, ministries of finance and national offices of statistics in charge of data management, is preceded by a four-day workshop of representatives of regional institutions (the West African Monetary Agency, WAMA, West African Monetary Institute, WAMI, ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions), as well as resources persons.

The objectives include acquainting national experts with the use of ECOBASE in Microsoft ACCESS format and the methodology for data collection and management. The meeting will also validate the user guide and propose a time-table for the installation of the database and capacity building in member states.

Mahamadou Yahaya, ECOWAS Director of Research and Statistics, whose Directorate organised the workshop, said the operationalisation and implementation of the common economic, financial, monetary and social database (ECOBASE), would facilitate the timely update of regional multilateral surveillance database and reduce the difficulties often encountered by member states in reporting statistics to regional institutions. This, he said, would in turn facilitate monitoring of macroeconomic convergence and contribute to development and regional integration.

— Jun. 9, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT

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