ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal inaugurated the Data Dissemination KIOSK. Dr Naeemuz Zafar, Chief Statistician, PBS briefed the Minister PD&SI that PBS being the National Statistical Organization is mandated for collection, compilation & dissemination of data on various socio economic sectors both through primary & secondary sources for evidence based policy making.
He said that as the world under “digital transformation” become “global village” therefore “data” is the “new currency for development” and availability of timely credible data in an interactive way is the need of the time. PBS under policy of “Digital Pakistan” and Vision 2025 has also undergone “digital transformation” and shifted from manual approach to electronic data collection.
Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member Support Services informed that PBS have paradigm shift on data dissemination from unidimensional mode of fixed formats into interactive customized dashboards: which provides open access to data with infographics along with comparison with previous years of several indicators as per requirement of users. In addition to it PBS is also working of linking geographic database with information for producing heat maps with layering of other information like roads, railroads, rivers, schools, hospitals etc. for provision of updated information for proper planning.
Accordingly, using the wealth of data available with PBS, customized dashboards namely “Census Information Management System”, “Mouza Census Information Management System”, “PSLM & SDGs Information Management System” & “Price Management Information System”(PMIS), “GIS based system for COVID-19 Management”, “6th Population & Housing Census-2017”, “Pilot for “Digital Census-2022” and decision support systems namely “Decision Support System for Inflation”(DSSI) and “Evidence Based Decision System for Planning Commission/ Provincial P&Ds” have been prepared, which are available online and also installed on Data Dissemination KIOSK for increasing statistical literacy among data users and to create awareness about importance of data for informed decision making. Therefore, PBS has installed their standalone dashboards and information management system in dissemination KIOSK at Ministry of Planning Development & Special initiatives (being the central ministry where all projects get approved).
This will enable Policy Planners to have instant and updated information on data through customized dashboards for decision regarding development programs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022