BY HOPE BWALYA –
VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina has underlined the important role that statistical data plays in enhancing the social and economic development of any country.
Ms Wina who, is Development Planning Minister, noted that it would be difficult to offer improved governance and services to the people in the absence of statistical data.
Ms Wina was speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the commemoration of this year’s African Statistics Day under the theme, ‘Better data for better lives: Harnessing modern technology to enhance national statistical Systems’.
“An essential component of any development planning is data. Without data the country’s efforts to plan for future growth and welfare of its people cannot be grounded in reality and therefore may be severely flawed,” she said.
Ms Wina said good data offered guidance and enhanced growth and development. The inability to produce quality statistics has detrimental effects on the development of the country as it affects decision and policy formulation which later affects the well being of citizens.
Ms Wina said the Government was committed to supporting the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to ensure quality production of data.
CSO Director John Kalumbi said insufficient coordination of data by people involved in its collection and dissemination compromised quality, consistence and effectiveness in its usage.
“Efforts of all these players are not sufficiently coordinated and harmonised to ensure data consistency, quality and effective use.
“Consequently, this has led to duplication of efforts, wastage or misallocation of resources,” he said.
However, the Government has put in place measures to enhance coordination which has helped to provide a holistic and comprehensive framework for improving the national statistical system.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative Mary Otieno said Zambia needed to leverage the expertise of telecommunication companies and software developers that would in turn, benefit the statistics office.