Statistics Botswana targets timely release of data
Isaac Pinielo | Wednesday September 16, 2015 16:01
The principal statistician for national accounts and prices, Ketso Makhumalo described the collection and processing of data into statistical information as a mammoth task.
“We collect data from various sources and some sources usually take long to provide us with data,” she said yesterday when announcing the August Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The Open Data Barometer (ODB) global report recently stated that limited capacity at Statistics Botswana caused delays in publishing or absence of key public data, a trend that observers believe has long-term economic and social costs.
According to the ODB 2015 report, Botswana is among the least open and transparent countries in a global index of government data, with the absence of a right to information exacerbating the situation. In the ODB, Botswana fell 23 places down the rankings from position 55 last year to 78 this year. Meanwhile, the annual inflation rate in August 2015 was 3.0 percent, a decrease of 0.1 of a percentage point on the July 2015 rate of 3.1 percent. Annual inflation in August 2015 was lower than the 4.6 percent recorded during the same month in 2014.
Makhumalo said the decline in the annual inflation rate between August 2014 and August 2015 was due to the decrease in prices of major commodities in the transport group, especially fuel which was adjusted downward in December 2014 and February 2015.
On the inflation rates for regions between July 2015 and August 2015, the statistical agency indicated that; cities and towns went down to 2.8 percent from 3.1 percent, rural villages dropped to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent and urban villages remained unchanged at 3.0 percent.
The CPI registered an increase of 0.2 percent, moving from 182.5 in July to 182.8 in August. The urban villages’ index realised an increase of 0.3 percent, moving from 181.1 to 181.6.
“The rural villages’ index went up by 0.3 percent, from 188.5 to 188.9, while the cities and towns’ index rose by 0.1 percent, moving from 181.1 to 181.3 between the two months,” says the Statistics Botswana statement.
Group indices were generally stable between July 2015 and August 2015, recording changes of less than 1.0 percent.
The clothing and footwear index group went up from 174.0 to 175.4, registering an increase of 0.8 percent between July and August. The increase was attributed to the general rise in the section indices. The restaurants and hotels index group rose by 0.4 percent, moving from 239.6 in July to 240.4 in August. The rise was due to the general increase in the section indices.
The food and non-alcoholic beverages index group went up from 196.8 to 197.1, recording an increase of 0.2 percent between July and August. The rise was attributed to the general increase in the section indices.
The all-tradable inflation rate was 1.4 percent in August, a decline of 0.1 of a percentage point on the July 2015 rate of 1.5 percent. The imported tradable inflation rate recorded a drop of 0.1 of a percentage point from 0.7 percent in July to 0.6 percent in August.
The non-tradable inflation rate declined from 6.9 percent to 6.8 percent between July and August. The domestic tradable inflation rate remained the same at 2.9 percent between July and August 2015.
The all-tradable index moved from 187.3 in July to 187.7 in August registering a rise of 0.2 percent. The imported tradable index moved from 176.8 to 177.3 recording an increase of 0.3 percent between the two months. The non-tradable index registered an upturn of 0.1 percent, moving from 170.9 to 171.0, while the domestic tradable index went up by 0.1 percent, moving from 207.5 in July to 207.7 in August.