Starting with better understanding

Accurate statistics is one of the critical needs for proper planning, be it by the government, the private sector or the individual. Flawed statistics may adversely influence decision making --including vital ones involving expenditure and investment-- leading to undesirable outcome. Only if the statistical details are accurate and reliable about any specific field of activity, then policy planners alone can be in a position to set a workable strategy for attaining the objective in that sphere. They can realistically increase or decrease fund allocations for different areas or revise the thrust areas for advancing national development. Their revisions or amendments are likely to be down-to-earth from revaluation on the basis of objective data. All such exercises can otherwise contain serious lapses to inevitably lead to failure of programmes.
Any company wishing to start a new business must also be able to rely on its own market studies about the demand for its contemplated product, the position or market shares of competitors in the field, the quality and prices of their products, etc., to be able to successfully claim a market share or outdo its competitors. Every entrepreneur not only relies for such information from his own investigation but also on data from official sources, if the same are available. Hence the imperative is that data generated from its own source and that from government department should be precise and reliable. If this does not happen and the investment decision is taken on the basis of inaccurate data, then the venture may ultimately prove a losing concern or even suicidal. Again, estimates of foodgrains production in the country, the amount of shortfall compared to demand and the associated factors should be very correct for reliably assessing the import requirement. If statistical information about these things are not flawless, then wastages can occur from importing more than what are necessary or acute shortages may suddenly surface to precipitate public sufferings and outcry.
Thus, whatever the field, the importance of dependable statistics cannot be ignored in the least for the sake of optimum economic performance. But statistical accuracy continues to be a fault-ridden exercise in Bangladesh. The adviser for planning and finance drew attention of all to these factors at the recently held National Statistics Conference. He was particularly critical about differences usually seen in the statistical data of two separate official bodies on the same matter . The central official body for collecting statistics, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), prepares statistical information for use by the government in different spheres. But the same are found to be in conflict with data gathered by other government agencies or private organisations. This discrepancy painfully shows up the general problem of depending on statistical information and the hazards involved in responding with strategies and programmes on the strength of such information.
Clearly therefore, the entire procedures relating to preparation of statistics at the level of the government, the private sector and other institutional bodies, need to become more efficient. The adviser concerned has stressed on the acquisition of skills by those who collect data as well as those who analyse them. The adviser being in a position to set in motion schemes to this end as he is in charge of both planning and finance, may initiate measures to hone the skills of personnel engaged in statistics collection and compilation. The skills to be improved should encompass not only upgrading of individual competence. The same must essentially also include areas such as sampling and data collection, processing and dissemination.