St Kitts – Nevis technical assistance report September 22-October 1, 2025
Written on 03/21/2026
Caribnews
USA / St Kitts – The IMF-Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) conducted a technical assistance mission to St. Kitts and Nevis during September 22–October 1, 2025, at the request of the statistics division, to support the rebasing of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and strengthen national accounts statistics.
The mission reviewed data sources and compilation methods for production-based GDP, identified methodological issues affecting the consistency and transparency of estimates, and assisted in developing preliminary rebased estimates using available data. Key areas of focus included construction, accommodation services, manufacturing activities, and government services, as well as the treatment of contract manufacturing and under coverage adjustments.
The mission also provided guidance on improving the use of the Household Budget Survey, the Visitor Expenditure Survey, administrative data, and on strengthening volume measurement. Priority recommendations were formulated to support completion of the rebasing exercise, enhance documentation of sources and methods, and improve the sustainability and quality of St Kitts and Nevis’s national accounts program.
The SD should: Follow up with the MoA to obtain additional details on the volume of crop production and prices.
Consider using the CPI to develop a price index for the various crops if the MoA cannot provide quality price information.
Follow up with the MoA to obtain livestock prices.
As illustrated in Table 2, consider using the CPI to develop a price index for the various livestock if the MoA cannot provide quality price information.
Periodically update the population index for inter-census years using the linear interpolation method.
Treat electronics manufacturers as contract manufactures.
Obtain the contract manufacturing fee from BOP and update the output of electronics manufacturers accordingly.
Continue obtaining financial statements for breweries and use this information to estimate output, IC and VA.
Continue extrapolating constant price VA of bakeries using the population index.
Follow up with the electricity utility SOEs to obtain financial statements, and estimate output, IC and VA from them.
Determine, precisely, the nature, amount and manner in which the construction under-coverage adjustment has been applied.
Verify the percentage of air travelers’ expenditure on accommodation services from the VES.
Consider updating the methodology for accommodation services, as illustrated in Table 5.
Collect the budget statistics to compile VA for public administration, public education and public health as illustrated in Table 6 from 2000 to the present.
Follow up with the MoF to obtain employer pension contributions (and other social contributions).
Obtain the financial statements from the telecommunications company and update the estimation of information and communication services.
At a minimum, update the key ratios (margin rate and IC to output ratios) for wholesale and retail trade with the 2010 NAS results.
Obtain up-to-date financial statements for the St. Kitts and Nevis airport authorities, and the seaport authority, and recompile VA for auxiliary transportation.
