The European Union last week handed over the Eurotrace statistical software and related IT equipment to the Myanmar’s Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) in a bid to help the Southeast Asian nation generate reliable trade statistics.
Eurotrace is a software that has been developed and maintained by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. This software has been installed in over 60 countries worldwide, including in ASEAN countries and region within the ASEAN Secretariat.
The EU provided the CSO with 10 computers, and servers worth over €30,000, all equipped with Eurotrace software to process the trade data transmitted by the Customs Department.
This will enable the CSO to disseminate timely, reliable and accurate trade statistics to all its users, the EU said.
EU ambassador to Myanmar, Roland Kobia, said, “EU is pleased to support the strengthening of the Myanmar statistical system, which should transform into a national system of harmonised and consolidated statistical data at national level.”
Kobia said this will produce better quality statistics to meet user’s needs and improve efficient policy making.
The government has been making efforts to prepare a national strategy for the development of statistics. The EU co-chairs the Sector Working Group on Statistical Quality Development, chaired by the CSO, which is responsible for the data capture, compilation and dissemination of statistics in Myanmar.
The EU has been assisting both the CSO and the Customs Department of Myanmar to produce reliable and comparable trade statistics with ASEAN and international standards. The EU has been providing relevant trainings and IT equipment, including the Eurotrace software in this regard.
The Myanmar government and policy makers need reliable and timely trade statistics that can assist in the formulation of trade policy and monitor Myanmar’s economic integration in the region and internationally, the EU said in a statement.
Since January, the EU has been supporting the work of the CSO under a €5.5 million programme aiming to strengthen the capacity of the Myanmar civil service in support of the reform process.
The EU assistance includes sharing of technical knowledge and best practice, as well as institutional support. The programme is implemented by the International Management Group (IMG), an international organisation operating in Myanmar since 2012.
