Problems and practices of African Countries in the compilation of production accounts and commodity balance

Abstract

This paper is intended to highlight some of the problems and practices in the compilation of production-,-consumption-expenditure and capital formation accounts in countries of the African region. An inventory of the availability of these accounts and tables compiled in the region will be attempted in this paper, the sources of data used examined, current methods of estimation in both current and constant prices reviewed, and problem areas identified. This has been done subject to the availability of information from the countries as contained in national as well as international publications and the country replies to an ECA questionnaire sent for the purpose in February 1971 (Part A of the questionnaire concerning production accounts and commodity balances is appended as Annex I).