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UN agency launches African countries' profiles to help in structural shift

Xinhua, April 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has launched country profiles of 20 African countries regarding structural transformation.

Speaking at the launch ceremony on Sunday, Giovanie Biha, UNECA Deputy Executive Secretary, said the country profiles would provide periodic economic and social assessments of UNECA member states, with a view to making recommendations to governments and regional organizations on structural transformation.

Biha said that in the long run, country profiles would be used as a tool through which the UNECA would monitor the pace of structural transformation on the continent.

Biha said the analysis of the 20 countries was conducted in 2016 and that in 2017, the country profile exercise would cover the entire continent.

She said that 14 out of the 20 countries recorded real GDP rate in excess of the average of African countries, 3.9 percent.

"Cote d'Ivoire was the fastest growing economy in 2014 with real GDP growth of 8.5 percent. Rwanda and Tanzania registered the second highest real GDP growth rate of 7 percent," said Biha.

UNECA also called for African countries to shift resources from the traditional agricultural sector to higher value-added activities in manufacturing and services.

More than 100 experts and foreign envoys have attended the ceremony.

They praised UNECA for producing the country profiles, which they said were critical to boosting transformation on the continent.

"The country profiles will assist African countries to own their data and consequently effectively plan on how to move together as a continent in terms of development," said Susan Sikaneta, the ambassador of Zambia to Ethiopia.

An UNECA statement said the agency believes the country profiles would help the continent to take more control of its own developmental narrative, help African nations make evidence-based policy decisions to address issues like poverty and unemployment.

UNECA will update the country profiles on a quarterly basis, working with national statistical agencies and think-tank organizations. Endit