Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve
THE Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa is, on Tuesday, set to officially open the SADC Statistics Committee meeting in Victoria Falls.
The meeting is being hosted by the SADC Secretariat in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat).
Sixteen Director Generals of Statistics bodies from the region have converged for the annual SADC Statistics Committee meeting to assess progress on regional statistical initiatives and strategise on enhancing statistical systems across the SADC region.
The SADC Statistics Committee plays a critical role in advancing statistical development, harmonising statistical systems, and ensuring the availability of accurate, timely, and comparable data to support regional integration, effective policymaking, and monitoring of development goals.
During the meeting, the Committee will also deliberate on policy instruments for regional statistics both at regional and national levels with a particular focus on accelerating the signing and ratification process of the SADC Protocol on Statistics, which was approved by the Summit of Heads of State and Government in August 2021.
Some of the key objectives of the meeting include reviewing progress on regional statistical development initiatives, discussing the implementation of the Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS), harmonising statistical methodologies and indicators across Member States.
The meeting also seeks to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of National Statistics Offices (NSOs) as well as coordinating data collection and reporting for SADC regional indicators (economic, social, environmental).
The outcomes of this meeting will be instrumental in aligning statistical efforts across the region, thereby supporting evidence-based decision-making and sustainable development in Southern Africa.
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Bongani Ndlovu