Staff Correspondent

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a project titled ‘Statistical Capacity Enhancement and Modernization Project (SCEMP’) aiming to  transform data-producing institutions including BBS into a modern, integrated, and technology-driven system which will help in evidence-based policymaking.

The project under the Statistics and Information Management Department will be implemented by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics at an estimated cost of Tk 1,096.40 crore.

Of this, Tk 96.00 crore will be financed by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) with the remaining Tk 1,000.40 crore coming as project assistance from the World Bank.

Spanning from July 2025 to June 2030, the project will cover the entire country and support the implementation of the National Statistical Development Strategy (NSDS) 2024–2030.

According to the project paper, the main objective of the project is to enhance the capacity of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and other data producing institutions through the preparation, management, use and dissemination of reliable, quality and timely statistics for the purpose of transparent and evidence-based policy formulation.

Main activities will be to develop an effective and integrated National Statistical System, establish and modernize physical and statistical infrastructure, improve data dissemination, information and communication technology management, enhance institutional and individual capacity and professional skills, disseminate data in line with international standards and increase accessibility and use of data.

 The project document said that although some progress has been made in the National Statistical System under the National Statistical Development Strategy (NSDS) 2013-2023, there are still some important shortcomings in the development of infrastructure, human resources and information management, which has limited the ability of BBS to produce timely statistics.

Bangladesh’s Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI) score in 2023 was 70.81, indicating moderate progress.

However, it reflects weaknesses in some key areas, such as information infrastructure (70), data sources (58) and information services (62).

To address these deficiencies, the SCEMP project will modernise the ICT system of BBS, develop statistical infrastructure, and strengthen institutional coordination and data governance.

The project will support the integration of new technologies, including digital data collection, geospatial analysis, and real-time data dissemination.

In addition, the project will strengthen the administrative information system.

The project will invest in creating future-ready skilled human resources by providing training in big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and data science, which is in line with the Eighth Five-Year Plan and other national priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SCEMP project is proposed to transform BBS into a modern and efficient statistical organization to meet current and future data needs.

The  Planning Commission recommended that the project will produce reliable, quality and timely statistics and develop a modern and integrated statistical system in the country.

Once implemented, the project can be approved as it will enhance the overall capacity of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and other data producing organizations.