Lack of information in system affects service delivery: Abel

National

THE government reporting system lacks vital information and statistics to enable the delivery of goods and services on an accurate and timely basis,” Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel says.
“One of the legacy issues is the reporting system of the government. The government is continuing a process of reforms and dealing with many legacy issues,” he told Parliament on Friday.
“The classic example is some of the information that came out in terms of job creation recently, indicating that while in the resource sector, jobs were increasing at a quite good rate in the non-extractive sector.”
Abel said this was contrary to the economy in terms of 10 successive years of growth in the economy.
“The level of investment and the physical stimulus that is taking place in cities like Port Moresby through Apec and all the investment programmes, thousands of jobs are being created.
“We are still struggling with the statistics the reporting system of the government.”
Abel said another example was the calculation of GDP and recent issues with the International Monetary Fund changing the way GDP was calculated “and our outdated systems and some of the queries that rose in relation to how we reported on our budgets and it flowed through all our statistics”.
“That is why through the NID process, the reforms at the NSO, the upcoming census, our engagement with the Australian Bureau of Statistics through World Bank and IMF and the medium-term development strategy that we are tiding up.
“Also the presentation of the Appropriation Bill that is being brought up to international standard that is creating some reporting anomalies in the systems.
“We need to get the statics in order so we can report on the macro statics and micro, the smaller level of things in terms of immunisation rates and infant mortality – these reporting issues of how our development agendas are affecting the lives of Papua New Guineans.”
Abel will present the final budget outcome for 2018 on March 31.
“I will update Parliament on the state of the economy and the series of reforms undertaken that were translating into benefits.”