Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam has stated the Maldives currently lacks the data required for national development. He made the remarks in his speech at the event to launch the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) 2021-2030.
Speaking at the event, Minister Aslam said the Maldives is a fast developing country and that information should be collected on the ongoing changes to the country and be made publicly available. The minister noted that there has not yet been a wide-ranging effort to collect information which are crucial for the continuing development of the country and that the latest statistical data was collected during the census conducted eight years prior. He said the census data is now outdated as the country has undergone significant economic and social changes in the past eight years.
Furthermore, Minister Aslam said statistical data is crucial for planning development projects, especially in airport development projects in which the government needs data on the nearby resorts and islands as well as the residents and their various connections including travel and transport routes.
The NSDS 2021-2030 was inaugurated by Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail at a special ceremony at the National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT) The purpose of the national strategy is to collect statistical data through 17 government institutions and make the information available to the public.
Additionally, the Maldives Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will be conducting a census using the latest technology and resources next year.