Fiji needs a real-time National Household Statistical Register to improve policymaking, disaster response and social assistance programmes, according to Senior Fellow and Senior Economist at the University of the South Pacific, Dr Mahendra Reddy.
While making submissions to the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, Dr Reddy mentioned that the Fiji Bureau of Statistics currently focuses heavily on cross-sectional data collected through population censuses, agricultural censuses and household surveys conducted at specific points in time.
Dr Reddy says while these surveys provide a snapshot of conditions at a particular period, they do not monitor what happens to households over time.
He adds that the most important reform absent from the bill is the establishment of a continuously updated household-level database.
INSERT: Dr Reddy on reform 18th June
Dr Reddy says Section 16 of the Bill provides for a statistical register but does not require the Bureau to maintain dynamic longitudinal records on households, villages, settlements and communities.
He also called for a shift from cross-sectional statistics to longitudinal data, which would allow authorities to monitor households over many years instead of relying solely on periodic surveys.
He says longitudinal data would make it possible to track poverty movements, labour market transitions, migration patterns, business performance and climate vulnerability over time.
Reddy says Fiji should aim for what he described as "absolute capture" of households across the country.
He questions why that is not being done, as Fiji is such a small country and there are no more than about 300,000 households in the country.
He says household information should be updated in real time, such as when a family member moves overseas for study, so government agencies can know exactly how many people live in a particular area before a disaster strikes and authorities would no longer need to conduct additional surveys to determine who requires assistance after a cyclone or flood.
Reddy says Fiji should also move towards greater integration of government databases, with ministries sharing information rather than operating in isolation.
Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya asked whether Reddy's recommendations would require a complete digital transformation of the Fiji Bureau of Statistics and stronger data-sharing obligations across government ministries.
Reddy agreed to it, saying that all ministries must harmonise their systems because this would allow sharper policymaking by government.
He says the Statistics Bill is a major step forward but warns that it still reflects what he described as a "20th century view of statistics" focused on collecting, compiling and publishing information.
He says the future lies in creating a real-time, integrated and predictive statistical system capable of transforming data into national intelligence.
