President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized the critical importance of integrity in the dissemination of national statistics, urging the newly appointed Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, to remain objective and truthful, even when the data is uncomfortable.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony at the Jubilee House on Friday, May 2, President Mahama stressed that the credibility of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) must never be compromised. He noted that accurate and reliable data is essential for informed decision-making, national development, and good governance.
“Statistical integrity is not a luxury—it is a necessity,” Mahama said. “Citizens must have confidence that the data published by the service is factual and free from political interference. Investors and development partners rely on our macroeconomic indicators to make critical decisions, and these must reflect the truth.”
He called on Dr. Iddrisu to resist any form of external pressure that could influence the objectivity of the GSS’s work, encouraging him to “speak truth to power,” regardless of how inconvenient the facts may be.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and evidence-based governance, adding that accurate data is essential across sectors including health, education, agriculture, and urban planning. “We need timely and disaggregated data to guide implementation, assess outcomes, and make corrections where necessary,” he noted.
In his response, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu pledged to modernize the GSS through technology-driven solutions aimed at meeting emerging data demands. He highlighted the agency’s role in supporting the government’s macroeconomic stabilization and development agenda.
“We are committed to delivering timely, credible, and relevant data to inform national policies and flagship initiatives such as the 24-hour economy policy, the Agriculture for Transformation Agenda, and the national apprenticeship and coders programmes,” Dr. Iddrisu stated.
He also announced plans to accelerate the release of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data and introduce GDP estimates at the regional level to support localized development strategies. Additionally, the service will produce inflation data with rural-urban disaggregation to enhance understanding of price trends nationwide.
Dr. Iddrisu further revealed intentions to rebase Ghana’s GDP statistics and institutionalize a five-year rebasing cycle to align with international standards.
“Our goal is to anticipate and respond to the dynamic data needs of a forward-looking nation,” he said.
The ceremony reaffirmed the pivotal role of the Ghana Statistical Service in ensuring accountability, informed governance, and sustainable national development.
Source; Citinewsroom
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