Olga Diaz, advisor on national accounts to the Central Bank, announced that as of this first quarter the Central Bank will publish its national accounts statistics referencing them to 1991, and not 1970. The methodology that bases the statistics on 1970 data has resulted in the year’s GDP showing an outstanding 9%. She said the first revision of the data will be available in April of this year. She said that at present the Central Bank measures the growth of 14 economic sectors. With the new methodology, 31 sectors will be measured. This will permit more accuracy in the statistics.
She defended the use of the old methodology, saying that over the past years, it has been adapted. She mentioned that both free zone manufacturing sector and the tourism sector, that were not important in 1970, have already been included.