Mon, 28 Nov 2016 20:34:15 +0000
GOVERNMENT has vowed to enhance the Central Statistics Office’s ability to collect quality statistics from public and private entities, acting Minister of National Development Planning Felix Mutati has said.
Officiating at the African Statistics Day celebration under the theme “Strengthening economic statistics for regional integration, structural reforms and sustainable development’’, Mr Mutati stressed the need to raise awareness on the importance of statistics.
In a speech read for him by Secretary to the Cabinet Fredson Yamba, Mr Mutati pointed out that statistics were important in all aspects of economic and social development and that they monitored various aspects of regional integration.
“Government will next year take before Parliament a statistics Bill which will enhance the Central Statistics Office’s (CSO) ability to collect harmonised quality statistics from public and private entities. There is need to raise awareness on the importance of statistics,” he said.
Mr Mutati said Zambia was among the first countries in Southern Africa to successfully use administrative data for estimating annual and quarterly Gross Domestic Product.
CSO director for Census and Statistics, John Kalumbi, pointed out that the theme of this year’s commemoration was timely for CSO as the initiatives were already in place in the area of economic statistics. He commended Government’s continued support of the CSO in ensuring that there was harmonisation in the production of statistics.
