Preparing household census with correct data

The move to carry out a household census is well-intentioned but its proper execution in time involves a big question. This is so in view of the country's unsavoury experiences about collection, preparation and compilation of statistical data and various related surveys in a timely manner and that too, with credibility. Given the circumstances, all concerned will welcome the government's move to conduct the country's first-ever national household census this year. It is better late than never. From this perspective, the ensuing household census, reflecting real socio-economic conditions of the population, assumes a critical importance. Flawless statistics, if collected, will go a long way towards undertaking appropriate public policy actions to move the economy onto a higher growth trajectory. The work on the national household census will reportedly begin in April next. The findings of the census will be purported to bringing to the fore an objective picture of the state of the economy and the country's socio-economic situation embracing various areas including, among others, income inequalities, poverty rates and employment scenario.
Lack of adequate and reliable data to compare various parameters of the country's development in different sectors and areas in the light of the government's different policies and programmes to help improve the related conditions, with those of its comparator ones, has, on several occasions, been noted by experts and leading professionals. This is considered one of the major handicaps to getting things in Bangladesh move in the right direction. Doubts have been expressed quite openly about accuracy and quality of data in Bangladesh on the basis of which all national statistics on GDP (gross domestic product, poverty, etc., are calculated and major decisions are taken.
The planning minister, too, agrees that all data are not reliable. It is against such a scenario that the government should create a separate fund to support research activities, objectively and independently without being subjected to any political pressure for doctoring data. Necessary and accurate inputs - statistical data - are critical for any national planning exercise. In fact, necessary funds for this have not been allocated since long. The country spends only about 0.6 per cent of its GDP in research activities as against 0.9 per cent in India and 0.8 per cent in Malaysia. Furthermore, institutional capacity building for the national statistical body and other relevant organisations has been another nagging problem in Bangladesh.
It is time to create a congenial work environment for facilitating the officials and employees of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to act with responsibility and appropriate caution while computing data and information on households. The latest and correct statistics, gathered from actual field-level operations, is indispensable for formulating practicable development programmes. Here, information technology (IT) can help avoid duplication in data collection and dissemination. It is also time for making statistics modern, functional and IT-based, with a special role to be played by the statistics departments of the universities.