It was on the theme “Strengthen­ing data systems by modernising the production and use of agricultural statistics: Information with a view to improving resilience in agriculture, nutrition, and food security in Africa.”

The objective of the fair was to showcase the various socio-economic and statistical data the GSS continues to churn out.

Data showcased included the 2021 Population and Housing Census, Con­sumer Price, Producer Price Census, Demographic and Health Survey, Ghana Annual Household Income and Expenditure Data, Fertility and Mortal­ity, Housing Characteristics Report and Water and Sanitation Report.

Also, GSS launched a Sustainable Development Goals National Report­ing Platform, a portal for accessing information on the SDGs.

Statistics using at least as of when a guideline and we are modernising it based on two perspectives.

The Government Statistician, Professor Samuel K. Annim, in his remarks, said the service was making efforts to ensure a closer working relationship between agricultural statis­tics, policy and how to link it to food securities and fisheries.

He said Ghana was one of the few countries that had had the opportunity to demonstrate the extent to which it was reaching the 232 Sustainable De­velopment Goals (SDGs) adding that the country had so far covered more than 50 per cent of the SDGs.

Prof. Annim said the fair would also touch on conversations around innova­tion from the perspective of the SDGs and also talk about the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which was one of the flag­ship programmes of the service.

He indicated that there had been a lot of conversations around the work of the service and that management through the support of the Office for National Statistics had decided to share with Ghanaians the personal experi­ences of Ghanaians with regards to the CPI.

“So for the first time we are launch­ing how you can calculate your own personal inflation based on the items, out of the 307 items that we have in our basket that each and every one of us consume,” he stated.

He stated that the GSS had rebased its Producer Price Index (PPI) and was now focused on eight sectors instead of the previous three adding that it wanted to have a much closer relation­ship with the media.

The Government Statistician men­tioned that the service was going to give out 2.6 million indicators that it was working with, adding that it want­ed an interactive use with the data.

“We want personal use with the data and again contrary to what we did in the year 2000 and 2010, we devel­oped a census that or we released a micro data 10 per cent of which has been fully anonymised to the general public and will demonstrate its use,” he stated.

That, he said would help individuals use the micro data to calculate two different variables within their district or locality.

Prof. Annim said the service was working tirelessly to ensure that it complements its survey services with data.

The Deputy Government Statisti­cian, Dr Faustina Frempong-Ainguah, said the GSS had the mandate to produce official statistics to promote national development.

She said the objective of the Service was to promote the use of adminis­trative and statistics data to accelerate national development.

Dr Frempong-Ainguah entreated Ministries, Department and Agen­cies to use the data churned out by the GSS to inform their policies and programmes.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE & CHARITY ASUKA