EAC Statistics E-Learning Resources · Public Sector Debt Statistics
EAC Statistics E-Learning Resources
A plain-language course on Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDS) in the East African Community — the framework for measuring and reporting public debt. Across five modules it follows the PSDSG 2013 standard and the EAC regional guidelines, from debt instruments and institutional coverage to classification, gross and net debt, convergence, contingent liabilities and sustainability.
This online material explains PSDS in plain language and shows how it measures and reports public debt. It follows the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide (PSDSG) 2013 and the EAC regional guidelines on the compilation of GFS and PSDS, covering the meaning of public debt and debt instruments, the institutional units and instruments PSDS records, the classification of debt, gross and net debt with the debt-to-GDP ratio and EAMU convergence, and contingent liabilities, sustainability indicators and debt restructuring. It supports the PSDS compiled and disseminated through the EAC Statistics Portal.
What PSDS is, the meaning of a debt instrument, the purpose of the statistics, and the PSDSG 2013 standard.
General government and public corporations, the debt instruments from SDRs to other payables, and where to find the data.
By residence, creditor, maturity, instrument type and currency — and general government debt versus public sector debt.
Gross versus net debt, the debt-to-GDP ratio, and the EAMU public-debt convergence ceiling.
Contingent liabilities, the debt sustainability indicators, and debt rescheduling versus restructuring.
A shuffled final assessment drawn from a large question bank, with a downloadable certificate on success.
Registration is optional to browse the modules — it's required only for the final assessment and certificate.
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PSDS · work through the modules, then take the final assessment
Work through the five modules in order. Each opens with its objectives, develops the concepts with definitions, diagrams and knowledge checks, and closes with a summary. A final assessment draws on all five modules; pass it to earn your certificate.
What PSDS is, what a debt instrument is, what the statistics are for, and the international standard behind them.
The institutional units PSDS covers, the debt instruments it records, and where the data can be accessed.
The five ways public debt is classified, the difference between general government debt and public sector debt, and external versus domestic debt.
The headline debt numbers — gross versus net debt, the debt-to-GDP ratio, and the regional convergence ceiling.
Obligations that may arise, the indicators used to judge sustainability, and how rescheduling differs from restructuring.
A shuffled set drawn from a large question bank — pass to earn your EAC certificate.
What PSDS is, what a debt instrument is, what the statistics are for, and the international standard behind them.
Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDS) is the framework used for measuring and reporting public debt data. It records total gross public debt — all government liabilities that are debt instruments. This module introduces PSDS, defines a debt instrument, explains what the statistics are used for, and identifies the international standard (the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide, PSDSG 2013) that keeps them consistent and comparable across countries. Like GFS, PSDS for the EAC is compiled and disseminated through the EAC Statistics Portal.
Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDS) is a framework used for measuring and reporting public debt data. It records total gross public debt, which consists of all government liabilities that are debt instruments.
Gross public debt is the total of all government liabilities that are debt instruments — the starting point for everything PSDS measures.
PSDS is used for measuring and reporting government and public sector debt. These statistics are used for analysing fiscal sustainability and measuring the risk exposure of the government.
Compilation of PSDS is guided by international standards including the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide (PSDSG) 2013, which enhances consistency and comparability between countries. For the EAC, PSDS is compiled and disseminated through the EAC Statistics Portal.
The institutional units PSDS covers, the debt instruments it records, and where the data can be accessed.
This module sets the scope of PSDS. It distinguishes the institutional units covered — general government and public corporations — lists the debt instruments PSDS records, from Special Drawing Rights to other payables, and shows where PSDS data can be accessed.
PSDS compilation includes debt from two parts of the public sector: general government and public corporations.
PSDS covers all liabilities that require repayment of principal and interest. These are recorded under five debt-instrument types.
PSDS also includes the publication of government guarantees as memorandum items.
Compiled PSDS is published by the Partner States and regionally.
Data is found on websites of the Partner States' Ministries of Finance, Central Banks and NSOs, and on the EAC Statistics Portal.
The five ways public debt is classified, the difference between general government debt and public sector debt, and external versus domestic debt.
Public debt can be cut several ways, and each view answers a different question. This module works through the five classifications PSDS uses, distinguishes general government debt from the broader public sector debt, explains why the debt of public corporations is included, and defines external versus domestic debt.
Public debt is categorised in several complementary ways.
The data currently compiled from the EAC is by residence, by creditor, by maturity and by debt instrument.
Two debt aggregates are often quoted — and the difference is the debt of public corporations.
Some public corporations borrow heavily with government guarantees, increasing fiscal risks. Including their debt provides a more complete picture of the government's fiscal exposure.
PSDS defines external and domestic debt by the residence of the creditor — and also by currency.
PSDS also defines public debt by currency: debt in foreign currency as external debt, and domestic debt in local currency.
The headline debt numbers — gross versus net debt, the debt-to-GDP ratio, and the regional convergence ceiling.
This module covers the debt aggregates and ratios that dominate fiscal discussion. It distinguishes gross from net debt, sets out the debt-to-GDP ratio and how to read it, and states the East African Monetary Union (EAMU) convergence ceiling for public debt.
PSDS reports both gross and net measures of debt — and the difference between them is the financial assets the government holds in corresponding debt instruments.
The deducted item is labelled Financial assets in corresponding debt instruments — the asset side that matches the debt instruments on the liability side.
The debt-to-GDP ratio is the most widely used measure of the burden of public debt.
The ratio measures a country's ability to repay debt based on the size of its economy. A lower ratio is generally considered more sustainable.
The debt convergence of the East African Monetary Union (EAMU) is monitored using a single ceiling.
The debt convergence of EAMU is monitored using the ceiling of public debt in net present value as a percent of GDP — a convergence ceiling of debt in NPV of 50 percent of GDP.
Obligations that may arise, the indicators used to judge sustainability, and how rescheduling differs from restructuring.
This module completes the course with the risks that sit beside recorded debt and the tools used to manage it. It defines contingent liabilities and distinguishes explicit from implicit ones, sets out the indicators used to judge debt sustainability, and explains the difference between debt rescheduling and debt restructuring.
Contingent liabilities are obligations that do not arise unless a particular, discrete event or events occur in the future — for example, government guarantees on loans, lawsuits, or public-private partnership commitments.
Contingent liabilities are important because they can affect fiscal sustainability even if they are not recorded as direct liabilities.
Several indicators are monitored together to judge whether debt is sustainable and to avoid debt crises.
When debt becomes hard to service, the terms can be changed — but rescheduling and restructuring are not the same thing.
Across five modules you've covered the foundations of PSDS, its coverage and instruments, the classifications of debt, gross and net measures with convergence, and these final topics on risk and sustainability.
This assessment has 30 questions in its bank; you will be asked a randomly selected 20. The question order and the answer options are shuffled on every attempt, so refreshing or retaking the assessment mixes in new questions. You need 75% to pass and earn your certificate.