The purpose of this meeting, organized jointly by the Development Data Group of the World Bank and the Statistics Department of the International Monetary Fund, was to agree on a work program to improve data on migrant remittances, in response to emerging data needs relating to international development policy issues. In particular, the meeting helped define how G8 and other countries will work with the World Bank, IMF and other bodies to improve data on remittance flows and develop standards for data collection in both sending and receiving countries, within the context of the G8 Action Plan agreed at the Sea Island Summit in June 2004.
Broadly, the meeting was divided into three sections. First, the meeting reviewed emerging policy needs for statistical data on migrant remittances and their implications for definitions, concepts and data collection. Perceived gaps and weaknesses in existing statistics were discussed. Recent work to estimate sources and destinations of flows was presented and discussed, and weaknesses in these data were reviewed.
Second, the meeting assessed the extent to which these needs can be met through existing frameworks. Conceptual issues and existing data collection practices within these frameworks, particularly the Balance of Payments and the Statistical Framework for the Measurement of Movement of Natural Persons, was discussed. A particular issue was the definition of remittances, and the extent to which countries are able to collect and report data consistent with these definitions.
Third, the meeting discussed practical data collection issues, particularly with a view to providing guidance and assistance to countries. This included methods for collecting (non-survey) data for the BOP from banks and money transfer companies and household surveys of remittance senders and receivers. Opening session: The policy needs for data on remittances Documents G8 Action Plan: applying the power of entrepreneurship to the eradication of poverty International working group to improve remittance statistics: notional terms of reference
Presentations Development policy needs for data on remittances (Valsa Shah, DFID) Trade-in-services policy interest in remittances (William Cave, OECD)
Session 2. Data frameworks Documents Remittances in the Balance of Payments Framework (Jens Reinke and Neil Patterson, IMF) Measuring migrant remittances from the perspective of the European Union (Mushtaq Hussain, Eurostat) Presentations Remittances in the balance of payments framework (Neil Patterson, IMF) Technical subgroup on the movement of natural persons: current developments (Alessandra Alfieri, UNSD) Measuring migrant remittances from the perspective of the European Union (Mushtaq Hussain, Eurostat) Measuring remittances: the issue of definitions (Hania Zlotnik, UN Population Division)
Session 3. Recent studies relating to remittance data quality and availability Documents Working abroad – the benefits flowing from nationals working in other economies (Anne Harrison, OECD) Presentations Working abroad – the patterns of migration flows and remittances across countries (Anne Harrison, OECD) Capturing information on remittances and other flows – a fact-finding in Europe (Violetta Damia, European Central Bank) Preliminary findings of a survey with central banks on remittance issues (Jose De Luna Martinez, World Bank)
Session 4. Data sources and compilation problems: country experiences Documents Measuring workers’ remittances (Michael Atingi-Ego, Bank of Uganda) Presentations Measuring migrants’ and temporary worker remittances in Balance of Payments statistics: Poland – a case study (Pawel Michalik, National Bank of Poland) BEA’s measures of workers’ remittances and transfers through charitable organizations (Michael Mann, Bureau of Economic Analysis, US) Remittance data in the UK Balance of Payments: methodology, data sources and weaknesses (Tom Orford, Office for National Statistics, UK) Statistical measurement of overseas Filipino workers’ remittances: present practices and future direction (Rosabel Guerrero, Central Bank of Philippines) Measuring workers’ remittances (Michael Atingi-Ego, Bank of Uganda) Measuring the immeasurable: hawala international remittances via informal channels (John Wilson, IMF)
Session 5. Collection of data from household surveys Documents Using household surveys to study remittance flows in developing countries (Richard Adams, World Bank) Questionnaires for collecting data from senders of remittances (Johan Mistiaen, World Bank) Democratic Republic of Congo (French) Nigeria (English) Senegal (French)
South East Asia workers’ remittance study (E. Yang & F. Kawawaki, Asian Development Bank) Enhancing the efficiency of overseas workers remittances, Volume 1 (Asian Development Bank) Enhancing the efficiency of overseas workers remittances, Volume 2 (Asian Development Bank) Presentations Household survey data on remittances in sending countries. Sampling and questionnaire design: options and uses (Johan Mistiaen, World Bank) Use of surveys to measure remittances (Hania Zlotnik, UN Population Division) Sending money home – Remittances as a development tool in Latin America and the Caribbean (Pedro de Vasconcelos, Inter-American Development Bank) Enhancing the efficiency of overseas workers remittances (Julie Rogers, Asian Development Bank)
Concluding session |
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