Staff Writer
The Bank of Namibia, in collaboration with the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), this week hosted the inaugural Statistics Awareness Day, bringing together policymakers, parliamentarians, academia, the private sector, development partners and the public to reaffirm the importance of quality statistics as the foundation for sound decision-making and sustainable national development.
The event was held under the theme, “Statistics in the Digital Age as the Foundation for Sound Decision-Making and Sustainable Development.”
The event sought to raise awareness of the value of official statistics, demonstrate how reliable data supports evidence-based policymaking, and showcase Namibia’s key economic and social statistics.
It further aimed to highlight the risks associated with poor quality data, promote greater investment in statistical systems and data infrastructure, explore the future of official statistics in the digital era, and strengthen collaboration among data producers, users and development partners.
In his welcoming remarks, Ebson Uanguta, governor of the Bank of Namibia, emphasised that official statistics are indispensable to sound policymaking and effective economic management.
“Namibia today boasts a sophisticated statistical ecosystem that supports monetary policy, financial stability analysis, economic forecasting, and investment decision-making, thanks to this foundational work spearheaded by our predecessors. Policymakers can now access a wide range of indicators covering inflation, economic growth, balance of payments, monetary statistics, and external debt and other social statistics, including statistics on employment and financial inclusion indicators, which are comparable to those of other countries and allow decisions to be grounded in evidence rather than presumptions and assumptions,” said Uanguta.
The Governor further highlighted Namibia’s subscription to the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) as an important milestone that has strengthened transparency and enhanced the country’s access to international capital markets.
He stressed that Namibia must continue investing in modern statistical systems that leverage digital technologies, administrative records and artificial intelligence to reduce dependence on costly traditional surveys while improving the timeliness, quality and accessibility of official statistics.
Statistician-general and chief executive officer of the Namibia Statistics Agency, Alex Shimuafeni, described official statistics as a strategic national asset that underpins economic growth, social development and good governance.
Shimuafeni highlighted the role of official statistics in tracking Namibia’s progress towards Vision 2030, the National Development Plans, Agenda 2063 and the SustainableDevelopment Goals.
He also underscored the significance of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, Namibia’s first fully digital census, as well as the growing importance of modernising the National Statistical System through digital technologies, geospatial information, administrative data and integrated data platforms.
He called on businesses, households and public institutions to continue providing accurate and timely information, emphasising that quality statistics begin with quality data.
