Mutati deplores inconsistency in economic statistics
Mutati deplores inconsistency in economic statisticsBy Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Friday July 25, 2008 [04:00]
COMMERCE minister Felix Mutati says it is difficult to ascertain the correct economic position of the country because the available statistics are not consistent. And Mutati has said there is too much theory in the development agenda of the country at the expense of practical solutions. Opening the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA)’s three-day strategic planning workshop at Sandy’s Creations yesterday, Mutati said lack of harmonised data on the country’s economic position was working against efforts of attracting foreign investments in the country.
“The same government, if you ask different institutions like Bank of Zambia (BoZ), Central Statistical Office (CSO), Ministry of Finance on any issue like inflation, exports, copper output…you get a different picture. So it means we are not coordinating in terms of understanding the fundamentals and that is where you as ZDA need to ensure the correct data is available.
This is making it difficult to tell the investors the correct position of Zambia’s economic fundamentals,” he said.
And Mutati urged ZDA to ensure that they draw up a strategic plan that was going to fit into the country’s long-term plan, the Vision 2030.
“We need to devoid ourselves from endless theories, analysis, quantifying things that we must do on a practical basis,” said Mutati.
Meanwhile, President Levy Mwanawasa’s special assistant for economic affairs Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane urged ZDA to come up with a client charter as a way of streamlining the marketing of the country’s investment potential.
Labels: ECONOMY, FELIX MUTATI, STATISTICS, WORKSHOPS, ZDA
posted by MrK @ 2:35 PM
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