Need Seen For Complete Statistical Programmes

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29990, 27 November 1962, Page 10

Need Seen For Complete Statistical Programmes

Thirty-five statisticians from 19 Asian and Pacific nations and four United Nations agencies have completed the first week of a threeweek seminar into an examination of basic statistics in social and economic development. The seminar, jointly sponsored by the Economic Commission for Asia and Far East (ECAFE) and the United Nations Statistical Office, is being held in Wellington under the chairmanship of the New Zealand Government staitistican (Mr J. V. T. Baker). From the outset ths delegates emphasised the need for the realistic expansion of statistical programmes to make them as complete as possible and recognised this to be a paramount need in many countries where rapid economic development is taking place. Most of the 19 countries represented have long-term plans for national development. At the same time the delegates took note that planners and economists do not always recognise the importance of having integrated series of statistics, as a basis for planning, and to assess what has been done at the end of the planning period. But it was also noted that in all countries the demand for more statistics was growing, as well as for greater refinement in their presentation, realising

that as developing economies became more complex comprehensive statistics became more necessary, to make it possible to see the whole picture of a country’s economy and to plan further with accuracy and efficiency. Delegates emphasised that statistical information on education planning should be integrated with the economic and social plan as education expenditure forms a relatively large proportion of gross national expenditure. In the economic outlook the minimum requirements of trained personnel, or graduates, need to be estimated, and steps taken if possible to meet the estimated demand. Additional numbers of qualified persons produced by the school system would enable the target in the national plan to be exceeded, and the Standard of living raised accordingly. In the course of the second week the delegates will continue consideration of education surveys as well as into health, wholesale and retail prices, transport and communications, external trade and money banking and prices.