A three-day regional workshop on International Merchandise Trade Statistics was conducted on 2 – 4 August 2021 via online platform in cooperation with ASEANStats. 89 officials of National Statistical Office, Customs, Central Bank and other agencies from all ASEAN member states participated to the workshop.
The main objectives of Regional Workshop on ASEAN IMTS is to further improve the IMTS data quality, focusing on issues related to the issues encountered by ASEAN Members States (AMS) as the IMTS data compilers that has elaborated in the IMTS Compilers Handbook 2021, the results from the feasibility study on Mode of Transport (MoT), Customs Procedure Codes (CPC), and Quantity, as well as the importance on the quantity information for IMTS data compilers; and specific objectives were:
- To discuss the comprehensive summary outputs of the IMTS Compilers Handbook 2021,
- To discuss the issues encountered by AMS based on the results from the IMTS Compilers Handbook 2021 and sharing best practices by AMS on specific issues,
- To present on how to read the IMTS Compilers Handbook 2021,
- To discuss the outputs of the feasibility study on MoT, CPC, and Quantity and to present the importance of quantity information for IMTS data compilers, and
- To share experience by AMS on how they use the CPC in their country as well as the importance of CPC to be implemented in the country.
IMTS Expert (Mr. Bülent TUNGUL) made several presentations on “Outputs of the IMTS Compilers Handbook 2021” was developed by IMTS expert and containing major issues faced by AMS, on “Guide on how to use and read the IMTS Compilers Handbook 2021”, “Outputs of Feasibility Study on Mode of Transport (MoT) and Quantity Information and Concept Note on Customs Procedure Codes (CPC) implemented in AMS”, and presentation on “CPC”.
ASEAN member states also presented and shared their good practices during the first day of the workshop and on the second day, shared their experiences on compilation of quantity information, and also their best practices on compilation of Mode of Transport.
In the last day of workshop, how to manage inclusions/exclusions (Statistical Procedure Codes), necessity and availability of detailed Customs procedures in member states were discussed.
