The Central Statistical Office (CSO) is working on expanding the data available on its website. Representatives told the Joint Select Committee on Finance and Legal Affairs on Friday that the organisation was hampered by a lack of human resources.

Speaking to the committee chaired by Independent Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye, CSO acting director of statistics Andre Blanchard said the organisation had worked with a consultant to update the website.

“We made it easier on our end for us to upload data, then we made it easier to access time series data. We also have more data on the website. We’re working the IDB web developers to make the data more open and available with longer time series for all social and economic data. We’re converting our paper files to digital data and this is taking some time, but we have converted 70 per cent of our data into the right digital format.”

He said while the CSO has faced a number of challenges in the recent past, it has maintained the timeliness of its data sets according to schedule, as well as producing several physical projects. He said the new design of the labour force survey was almost completed. He said they were trying to become more transparent with their accounting and showing how they processed data sets.

Blanchard said while the current staff complement is sufficient for the work currently being done, more statisticians and demographers are needed to expand the services and capacity of the CSO.

He said while there was resistance to change in setting up the National Statistical Institute, as well as changing systems, the majority of employees were optimistic about having a better CSO.

“Internally we want to do better and we’re aware that we can do better. We’re sure we have produced what we can. Many employees don’t like the constant bringing down of the CSO, it affects them. Externally, we’re admired by organisations for the work we do. We’re invited to be on numerous committees, especially when they need surveys done. They’d like to see us have more control in some ways, and some organisations have helped us train employees in various things.”

Planning and Development Ministry permanent secretary Joanne Deoraj said while the CSO is an independent entity, the ministry serves as oversight for administration, monitoring of PSIP, spending, gives advice on financial and other regulations, facilitates stakeholder consultations, and offers other types of support.

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