'Lies, damned lies and statistics' -- is a phrase often quoted to highlight the strength and persuasive power of numbers. The importance of statistics at individual as well as national levels remains beyond doubt. But the value of statistics gets diluted when reasonable doubts are expressed about the quality of the same. Dearth of reliable, up-to-date and adequate data, particularly in key economic sectors, does tend to make the overall economic planning of a country flawed and also business activities in its private sector, misdirected.
In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the national statistical organisation, remains the key source of basic data for both private and public organisations and donor agencies. Doubts have been expressed by individuals and institutions from time to time about the quality of data made available by the BBS or other national organisations. At least two incumbent ministers, who are in-charge of two important ministries -- finance and agriculture -- had vented their anger publicly over dissemination of conflicting statistics by a few public entities, including the BBS.
The ministers are not specialists and they are not supposed to look into the technical aspects of the statistical problems. Experts engaged in various sectors of the economy do often express their reservation about the quality of data available with different government organisations. But they usually have a feeble voice for not having reliable data to counter. However, Professor Dr. Nurul Islam, an economist of international repute, who served as the first deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, in an exclusive interview with the FE the other day, expressed his strong displeasure over the non-availability of reliable, up-to-date and adequate data in Bangladesh.
The professor has rightly traced a link between transparency and accountability of a 'legitimate' democratic government and the trustworthiness of national statistics. There prevails strong suspicion that a few key national statistics are, at times, manipulated to achieve political mileage. The suspicion has neither been proved right nor wrong. But such a suspicion, on real or perceived grounds, does reflect weaknesses of the national statistical system. The problems relating to quality of data of national importance are quite old. For the last one decade or so, an urgency among the policymakers to set things right was visible. But their actions have hardly matched their positive words. The incumbent planning minister has promised to create a separate fund in the next five-year plan to support research activities that would produce necessary and accurate inputs for national planning exercise. The allocation of fund in the five-year plan for research and development (R&D) activities would be a welcome move. But that is unlikely to help the goal of improving the quality and reliability of data relating to the key sectors of the economy.
The BBS, too, has reportedly initiated a mega project worth US$ 573 million with the objective of making the quality of its data world class. But what matters most is the deployment of competent people at all spheres of the BBS, including its offices at the grass roots. However, the efficient hands need to be given attractive compensation packages. Besides, the organisations that make available the data to the BBS regularly should also ensure the quality of the same. Otherwise, it is not possible for the BBS to examine the authenticity of every entry they compile. Moreover, the BBS is handicapped by shortage of manpower, logistics and other amenities. So, its structural weaknesses have to be taken care of.
Quality of national statistics
FE Team | Published: November 22, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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