HARARE - The Central Statistical Office (CSO) has been transformed into the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZNSA) a superficial change that would seem to suggest that the CSO has lost credibility due to its incorporation in the Zanu (PF) spin machine during the past decade of unprecedented economic decline. CSO Acting Director, Moffat Nyoni, said the new organisation was awaiting the appointment of a board of directors. Its mandate would be to approve the corporate plans, work plans and budgets for the agency.
“The newly formed organisation is now operational. It will facilitate accountability in the recording and filing of strategic national data,” said Nyoni.
The transformation of the CSO into ZNSA was ratified by government earlier this month.
Nyoni added that the transformation would result in the establishment of a semi-autonomous body whose operations would, however, be under the control of the state through the Ministry of Finance.
The new body would also co-ordinate and supervise the National Statistical Systems and advise government and other economic decision makers on socio-economic information.
The establishment of the agency comes at a time when the government is working on the collection of data to assist stakeholders in implementing strategies in line with the Short Term Emergency Recovery Plan (STERP).
Post published in: Economy