The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has been commended for its outstanding contribution towards statistical harmonization in the East African Community.
Speaking during a meeting between EAC and UBOS at Statistics House in Kampala, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in-Charge of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Ms. Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba, applauded the Bureau for strengthening statistical production and development at the EAC level.
“I commend UBOS for the excellent job and contribution towards the harmonization of statistics at the EAC level. Looking forward to a continued collaboration,” she noted!
She was, however, puzzled by the recent erroneous Trade Statistics published by the East African Business Council, where she called upon data users to quote official statistics from the EAC Statistics Unit or Partner country data sources.
“We must harmonize data generally accepted by all standards,” she stressed.
She noted that UBOS was one of the critical stakeholders and observed that one of the focus areas at the EAC Secretariat is to ensure that there is a well-aligned point of statistical coordination and dissemination.
The Executive Director of UBOS, Dr. Chris Mukiza, said that it was high time statistics went beyond just dissemination.
“We must explore accurate and proper communication of data to increase statistical awareness.”
He cited a situation where data is available but does not communicate any significance.
He observed a need to invest heavily in data digitization and visualization to encourage and promote the uptake and use of quality statistics.
Dr. Mukiza further called for an establishment of unified Household Surveys, singling out the National Household Survey that UBOS conducts tri-annually, noting that such surveys are still lacking among some of the partner States thereby providing a shortfall in data harmonization within the EAC block.
Dr. Mukiza further highlighted some cross-cutting issues in statistical production such as gender and environment.
He, however, informed the meeting that UBOS had made tremendous strides in ensuring that such data is readily available.
He called for an urgent need for the East African Statistics Act as such a tool would further strengthen statistical production and development within the East African Community.
He went further to call for the fast-tracking of the process of ensuring that the East African Statistical (EAS) Bureau is operational as soon as possible.
He said UBOS had already offered to host the EAS Bureau. Additionally, he urged members to appreciate the need for a mid-term review of the East African Community Statistical Programmes funded by the World Bank.
He noted that such initiatives would facilitate establishing the challenges and crafting possible solutions.
He called upon Member States to explore available opportunities to communicate statistics both within and beyond the borders.
Dr. Mukiza emphasized the critical need to ensure data is made more available, visible, and accessible to all users.