Government should take heed of the damage it has done to the reliability and credibility of Fiji’s statistical data widely used by investors, international rating agencies and the international and regional statistical community, says Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry.
He made this statement in support of the International Statistical Institute’s concerns on the termination of former Fiji Bureau of Statistics chief executive officer Kemueli Naiqama.
In a letter to Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama dated October 11, the institute expressed grave concern about Mr Naiqama’s termination.
Mr Chaudhry claimed the Fiji Government had a habit of interfering with statistical data, thereby raising questions about their integrity and credibility.
“Whenever holders of such independent offices make observations that reflect badly on the Government, they are chastised and removed without due process,” he said.
“It has also interfered with the independence of vital institutions such as the Reserve Bank of Fiji, the Auditor-General’s Office and, in this particular instance, the Bureau of Statistics.”
Mr Chaudhry said the Government must now follow the advice of the Statistical Institute to restore credibility in Fiji’s statistical data.
In the letter, the International Statistical Institute (ISI) and the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) called on the PM to act urgently to provide a vindication of its actions to rebuild trust in Fiji statistics.
The institutions showed grave concerns because they claimed Government’s action was a breach of the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and would, in many countries, be seen as unconstitutional and it was the government statistician who guaranteed to those outside the country that their trust in official statistics was well-founded.
