BUJUMBURA October 25th (ABP) – The acting director general of the National Institute of Statistics of Burundi (INSBU), Mr. Nicolas Ndayishimiye officially launched, on October 20, 2023, the 12th month of statistics in Burundi, 2023 edition, under the theme “Strengthening the production of official statistics by modernizing statistical data ecosystems to provide indicators of the vision of Burundi, an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060”.
Mr. Ndayishimiye specified that the month of statistics was established by the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS), during its 3rd session of June 14, 2012 to be celebrated each year, from October 20 to November 20, in with a view to highlighting the importance that the government of Burundi attaches to the improvement of official statistics in the service of the development of all sectors of the life of the Burundian nation.
He added that that period was not chosen at random because during that period, there will also be the African Statistics Day (ASD), which was established in 1990 by the 16th Conference of African Ministers of the Economy and plan to be celebrated on November 18 each year.
According to him, the celebration of that year’s statistics month comes at a time when Burundi has just adopted a new vision, advocating to make Burundi a prosperous nation through a sustained increase in the production of goods. and services and structural changes leading to increased life expectancy, satisfaction of basic needs, reduction of inequalities, unemployment and poverty in all its dimensions, he stressed.
Mr. Ndayishimiye noted that the national statistical system (NSS) organized that activity to stay in line with the national vision but also with that year’s themes of the African Union: Acceleration of the implementation of the free zone -African Continental Exchange (ZLECAf) and the African Statistics Day: “Modernizing the data ecosystem to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA; the role of official statistics and big data sets in Africa’s economic transformation and sustainable development.”
He specified that the theme was chosen to raise awareness, at the same time, of the producers of statistical data, the general public and political decision-makers on the crucial importance of statistics to achieve that vision, given that the month of statistics is coming. at a time when Burundi is in full execution of the general census of people, housing, agriculture and livestock (RGPHAE). It is therefore a major step forward in the path towards the development of statistics and its judicious use for good planning and correct formulation of policies, strategies and programs for inclusive socio-economic development of Burundi.
Speaking about the activities planned during the 12th month of statistics in Burundi, Mr. Ndayishimiye highlighted visibility, capacity building and statistical methodologies. The INSBU and the ministerial statistical services will generally continue the collection of administrative data in the areas of their respective competences, the production of socio-economic profiles of the provinces of Burundi, the national consumer price index in Burundi (INPCB), the Burundi Construction Cost Index (ICCB), the Burundi statistical directory, the sustainable human development document (DHD), to name just a few.