Finance minister calls for transparency in official statistics

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has called for greater transparency and reliability in official statistics, saying accurate data is essential for sound policymaking, effective development planning and public confidence.

Speaking at a National Statistics Day programme at the Statistics Building in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Sunday, he said government decisions and development programmes must be guided by reliable, transparent and measurable data to deliver the desired results.

“Data is the most important asset in a government's balance sheet,” he said as the chief guest at the event organised by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

This year's National Statistics Day was observed under the theme, “Reliable and Accessible Statistics: The Foundation of Sustainable Development and Planning”.

The minister said manipulating official statistics would amount to deceiving oneself, as the government needs accurate information to assess problems, identify weaknesses and make its programmes successful.

He stressed the need to make government data more accessible to researchers and citizens, saying wider access would encourage feedback, help identify errors and improve policymaking.

Reliable statistics can also help identify economic disparities, support research and guide policymakers in addressing various social and economic challenges, he said.

Referring to the government's reform initiatives, Amir Khosru said identifying the root causes of existing problems was essential before taking corrective measures. Reliable data would help the government understand those challenges and lay a sound foundation for reforms.

He also highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure in implementing government policies and programmes. Initiatives such as “One Citizen, One Wallet, One Card” would require accurate and accessible information, he added.

The minister assured that the government would take steps to strengthen the BBS and address its manpower shortages and other institutional challenges. Some decisions had already been taken, while further measures would follow, he said.

He thanked BBS officials and employees, particularly those working at the field level, for their efforts and cooperation in implementing government programmes.

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Amir Khosru also said coordination between public officials and the programmes of an elected government was a normal feature of democratic governance.

Prime Minister's Political Adviser and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Planning Ministry Zahir Uddin Swapon, Adviser to the Finance and Planning Ministry Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, and State Minister for Planning Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki attended the programme as special guests.

Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division Md Firoz Sarkar chaired the event.