Tanzania: WB Urges Tanzania to Use Technology in Data Collection

The World Bank (WB) has called upon Tanzania to use technology in collecting data as a way of fast-tracking the country’s development.

The WB country director for Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi and Somalia, Ms Bella Bird said this when she visited the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) offices in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

WB has been NBS’ partner since 2011.

The partnership, according to Ms Bird, aim at empowering NBS so it can develop numbers and quality data that is imperative for development.

“We have been supporting NBS since 2011 and so far we have funded about $30million for their ongoing programmes which aim at improving quality of data in the country,” she said.

According to her, it is imperative for Tanzania to implement an open government partnership that will give firsthand information to the public.

According to the NBS director general, Ms Albina Chuwa, through WB’s technical and financial support, the bureau managed to endorse the Tanzania Statistical Master Plan which has enabled them improve data production.

Others include human development, statistical infrastructures, data development and dissemination and physical infrastructure.

“With the merging economic structural change in the world, quality statistics has gained momentum to respond to accountability, transparency, results and information,” she said.

She said that the TSMP has accelerated improvement of economic statistics in Tanzania and that NBS is working closely with stakeholders to ensure cost effective production of official statistics for development plans.

According to her TSMP has developed two main statistical systems for the Prevention and Combating Bureau (PCCB) and the police to capture their crime data on daily basis.

“Our vision for statistics is to have one stop shop for quality statistics,” she said.

Source: All Africa