Veep hails local statistical system at Africa forum
Vice-President Saulos Chilima says Malawi’s improved statistical system has helped government to regularly review and report on progress in the implementation of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) and the Africa Agenda 2063, among others.
Chilima, who is also Minister for Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms which also oversees the National Statistical Office (NSO), said this yesterday when he virtually addressed the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development being held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He addressed a panel that discussed the use of data and statistics for evidence-based, inclusive and sustainable recovery and building forward after Covid-19.
Said the Vice-President: “We must use this discussion to bring to the table insights that will, among other things, highlight the importance of application of accurate data for evidence-based implementation, including reporting on strategic sectoral policies.”
Chilima cited the example of Malawi, where he said government has been able to use the statistical system to observe positive progress the country has registered in the mid-term reviews of the national development strategy.
He also used the platform to call for support from development partners to support Malawi’s efforts to generate, manage and use statistics that will help the country recover from the negative effects of Covid-19 on the economy.
Chilima said the assistance would be used in building capacity to implement advanced digital and online data collection systems.
The three-day African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development started on Monday.
It has been convened by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council in conjunction with the Economic Commission for Africa under the theme Building Forward Better: Towards A Resilient And Green Africa to Achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.
