23 Aug 2016

Statistics Botswana (SB) has failed to meet the World Bank Statistics Index (WBI), the deputy chief stastician general, Dr Burton Mguni has said.  

Speaking at SB seminary on August 19, Dr Mguni said Botswana was not bad with collection of data, but problem emanates from sharing it.

He said Botswana has been given 45.5 points out of 100, saying the country used to do well in 2004, but it has been in the downward trajectory, now below the Sub Saharan African average.

Botswana is doing well in Balance of Payments, a task undertaken by the Ministry of Finance and Development.

The country used to do well in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), but dropped last year as it used a base of 2004, hence outside the required 10 year base.

He said the CPI would be rebased this year which would add more points for Botswana and improve its ranking.

Dr Mguni further said the manual used by government was not up to date.

Botswana is also not doing well as it has failed to report to UNESCO and he said they would do so as they already have the data.

Of the required data, health survey and poverty survey also ranked the country low.

The health survey was currently ongoing and the Poverty Survey results are to be released hence Dr Mguni said by 2018, Botswana should be above the Southern African Development Committee (SADC) average.

Dr Mguni said his organisation in collaboration with the finance ministry and Bank of Botswana have formed a Statistics Producer Committee through which challenges facing Botswana would be addressed.

While Botswana is doing well in collection of data, it lags behind in registration of births, deaths and marriages. Ends