Muneeb ur Rehman

Availability of refined data on socioeconomic variables is necessary for governments to distribute financial resources accordingly. Senior Statistical Officer at the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Kashif Nabi said this while talking to WealthPK. He said the ongoing digital census in Pakistan will assist the government in allocating financial resources for the targeted population more effectively.

He further said the primary goal of the census was to provide information so that informed policies may be designed for provision of basic amnesties to the people living in a particular area or province. Explaining the geo-tagging feature of the digital census, he said, “This time the government is geo-tagging the landscapes and business activities. Geo-tagging will be helpful for urban planners to evaluate the physical infrastructure of the area. In response, budgetary allocations can be made to improve the development of the area.’’

“For rural areas, geo-tagging feature is of primary value.  It will help identify the backward areas in terms of lack of irrigation canals, and limited access to markets through roads,’’ he said. Kashif Nabi underscored the importance of geo-tagging in the health and education sector. ‘’Geo-tagging will identify the number of schools and hospitals as per the population density and area of a particular region. The government can allocate funds based on the same data more conveniently”.

It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is conducting the 7th census of Pakistan via digital tablets for the first time in the history. In this regard, 126000 tablets have been provided by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to digitize the data collection process, according to the Bureau of Statistics. He pointed out provincial grievances against the transfer of financial resources through the National finance Commission (NFC).

“Smaller provinces usually object to the inequitable provision of funds due to inaccuracies that happen to arise while collecting data on population through traditional means. This time more refined and reliable data is being expected. It is likely that unlike the previous census, the National Finance Commission will find no hurdle and objections while allocating funds to the provinces in an equitable manner,” he said.

‘’The data collected through the digital census can incorporate various other economic dimensions of households and regions. Any suggestions that can bring more equity to resource allocation will be considered in the next census,’’ he added. The first-ever digital census has a primary role to play in evidence-based decision-making that will produce better results for economic uplift of backward regions in future.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk