A 25-member National Statistics Advisory Committee (NSAC) to oversee the development and generation of data for national development has been inaugurated in Accra.
The NSAC with members with the ranks above chief director are drawnfrom ministries, department and agencies and the academia, is chaired by the Executive Director of the Data Protection Commission, Ms Patricia AduseiPoku.
The terms of reference of the committee is to establish an effective national statistics systems, advance the integration of both experimental and official statistics with practice, policy and research, and pursue the attainment of methodological rigour and integrity of data systems and interpretation for both the private sector and public sectors.
NSAC is mandated to harness the resources of the global data revolution.
The committee has representation from the Ghana Statistical Service, the National Development Planning Commission, National Population Council, Ghana Immigration Service, Births and Deaths Registry, Survey Department, Electoral Commission, Data Protection Commission, Ghana Revenue Authority, National Identification Authority, Bank of Ghana and University of Energy and Natural Resources.
The others are C.K Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Transport and Ministry for the Interior.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NSAC, the head of Civil Service, Nana AgyekumDwamena, who chaired the programme described the committee as long overdue as it was an important national body to help facilitate the effective functioning of the NSS.
He said the NSAC would help generate quality data to promote national development.
Mr Dwamena said the increasing demand for data in recent times emphasised not only the importance of statistics but also the strengthening of the NSS.
The Head of Civil Service said the NSS was faced with a lot of challenges due to the decentralised nature of the NSS.
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He said data produced by the various ministries, departments and agencies were not harmonised resulting in inconsistencies and under-utilisation of data.
"This is an important body that can help harmonise data and its proper use," MrDwamena said.
The chair of the GSS Board, Dr Grace Bediako, in her remarks, said the NSAC was a sub-committee and advisory body of the GSS Board.
She said the members of the NSAC were to serve for a period of two years.
Dr Bediako said Ghana Statistical Service Act 2019 (Act 1003) enjoined the GSS Board to form the NSAC.
She said the NSAC would ensure that data generated met national and international standards.
The Government Statistician, Professor Samuel K. Annim, in a presentation on the NSAC, said the need for harmonised and effective data systems was in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
He said the country needed reliable data to accelerate national development.
Among others, Prof. Annim said the NSAC would work to develop a Data Revolution Policy for the country as Rwanda has done.
The Government Statistician entreated the NSAC to work to complete a National Strategy on Statistics which had already been drafted.
Ms Adusei-Poku said she was excited to be appointed to lead the NSAC.
She said quality and harmonised data was critical for the development of the country.
Ms Adusei-Poku stressed that data generated must be in a form which is easy to use by consumers.
