Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has underscored the importance of investing in quality data to strengthen good governance.

“We know that when we invest in data, we improve the quality of public expenditure, we empower citizens, we energise innovation, and we create opportunities for equitable and inclusive development,” he said.

The Deputy Minister said this at the inaugural 2025 Annual Forum for Data Producers, Users, and Enhancers, which also serves to commemorate the 2025 African Statistics Day.

The programme was on the theme: “Financing Innovations in Data and Statistics for Sustainable and Inclusive Development.”

 He said the country was moving from donor-reliant

financing arrangements toward a model grounded in national ownership and sustainable investment.

“I am proud to note that the 2026 budget allocates GH¢207 million to advance critical operations including rebasing GDP and CPI, completing key national surveys, and strengthening economic performance and price measurement,” he said.

The budget, he stressed, also supported the scaling of the Monthly Indicator of Economic Growth (MIEG), placing Ghana among a select group of countries using near-real-time data to manage the economy.

 This tool will enable policy responses up to 10 weeks faster than traditional quarterly estimates.

Mr Ampem said a major reform was the integration of administrative data systems using the Ghana Card’s unique identifier.

This innovation, explained, was projected to cut future census costs by over 70 per cent, while delivering continuous, high-quality population and sectoral data.

He said another transformative measure was the launch of Ghana in Numbers, a new annual, visual, globally benchmarked data publication designed to turn statistics into compelling narratives for the public and policymakers.

To reinforce this ecosystem, he said, the government was reviewing the Statistical Service Act to further strengthen the independence, authority, and global standing of the service.

He said without quality data, planning becomes speculative, policymaking becomes inefficient, and development outcomes become uneven.

“Data drives smarter investments. It ensures that public resources are directed where they are needed most,” he said.

He stated that Ghana had made remarkable strides in modernizing its statistical landscape.

“We delivered West Africa’s first fully digital Population and Housing Census, processing data three times faster than previous cycles.

“We have institutionalised the high‑frequency surveys that provide real‑time insights into welfare, labour market trends and business dynamics,” he said.

Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, the Government Statistician, said the theme reaffirmed that “nation becomes

what it measures, what it funds, and what it chooses to understand.”

“When we produce data well, fund it sustainably, and use it consistently, we strengthen institutions, protect the vulnerable, and open opportunities for every community,” he said.

Dr Wilfred Ochan, Co- Chair, GSSDP Group, said the forum showed the commitment of GSS to achieve its mandate of producing quality data.

He called for investment in the production of data, saying, “Data on its own is not informative unless it is credible, accessible, and put to good use.”