Dar yet to arrange interaction on methodology
ZAHEER ABBASI
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dr has yet to arrange an interaction between the media and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) to discuss the methodology used to determine the disputed 4.1 percent growth rate.
Finance Minister promised during the press briefing at the launch of Economic Survey 2013-14 that he is ready to arrange an interaction between the media and the PBS on the methodology employed to work out the growth figure. Subsequently, independent economists also disputed the 4.1 percent figure.
An official of PBS said on condition of anonymity that they have not received any instruction from Finance Ministry in this regard. The official of PBS acknowledged the need to resolve the controversy over the growth figure and give credibility to the PBS data as it provides the basis for the formulation of policies. Sources in the PBS said that they are ready to give a briefing to media, analysts and economists on the methodology used to arrive at a growth figure as it would be a step towards giving credibility to data.
However, he acknowledged that presence of Finance Minister at the top level is considered to undermine the credibility as well as autonomy of the PBS. He added that the statistics bodies in most countries do not operate under the umbrella of the government so that no one can question their credibility on the data generated by them.
Dr Hafeez Pasha’s Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) has estimated 3.5 percent growth figure for 2013-14 and welcomed an opportunity to interact with the PBS as offered by the Finance Minister. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also projected 3.5 percent for 2013-14 at the conclusion of third review under Extended Fund Facility.
The Public Accounts Committee as well as independent economists have proposed that PBS should be made an autonomous agency because this would greatly enhance the credibility of the statistics that it produces.
Sources acknowledged that the failure to arrange an interaction between the media/economists and PBS indicates that the Finance Ministry wants to keep the PBS under its control to dictate desired numbers.
