Government has unveiled the first ever board of directors for the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTATS) with a call for the directors to be committed to the task.
The board of directors which is chaired by Charles Mpundu is comprised of 9 members including Dr Jeremiah Banda, Ms Bwalya Salamu from the Attorney general’s office, Isaac Muhanga from Bank of Zambia and Patricia Mulenga from EcoBank.
Others are Dr Mirriam Chiliba from the University of Zambia (UNZA), William Mayaka from UNZA, Elizabeth Musukwa from Cavendish University and Charles Banda from Ministry of National Development Planning (MNDP).
Speaking during the unveiling of the board of directors, Planning minister Alexander Chiteme said the unveiling of the board of directors represented a significant milestone in the government’s statistical reform programme.
Chiteme said it represented the beginning of a new era in the development of integrated national statistics; an era of enhanced coordination and dialogue in the production, dissemination and use of official statistics, and an era of a knowledge society anchoring its policies and decision-making on a strong statistical foundation.
“The attainment of the foregoing will require a strong and visionary board which I am confident you comprise, as the task is huge. Let me remind you that you will not be taking over from another board as you are the first ever-board of the new organization,” he said.
Chiteme said the board is one of the most serious boards because it will be responsible for all statistics that will be produced in the country.
He said, “Therefore I urge you to acquaint yourselves with the Act and operations of the Agency, to effectively conduct your duties as a Board.
“Chairperson your team has been carefully selected to bring to the table unique skills and experiences that will be of value to the full implementation of the Act and proper functioning of ZAMSTATS.
Chiteme also implored the new board members to familiarize themselves with the ZAMSTATS Act, in order to effectively carry out their duties.
The Minister noted that the board stands to benefit from the vast experience of successful similar boards in the African and European region.
And Mpundu said the board will aim and work to not only meet the stakeholder expectations but to also surpass them for the benefit of the nation as a whole.
He said the board will ensure that it upholds professionalism, transparency, accuracy and quality of statistics that is expected but in process improve the integrity of data collection and dissemination process that will culminate in raising of confidence in the system.
“In this regard, we will endeavor to ensure that ZAMSTATS adheres to the international best practices and ensure we move up in terms of the World Statistical Index. The importance of accurate and timely statistics cannot be overemphasized given the impact that statistics have on decision making,” he said.
