24-Hour Economy cannot succeed without data — GSS tells Parliament

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has stressed that the success of the government's flagship 24-Hour Economy programme will depend heavily on the availability of reliable and timely data to guide policy implementation and measure outcomes.

Appearing before Parliament's Committee on Economy and Development, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu said the Statistical Service was positioning itself as a key partner in the programme by providing the data systems required to support evidence based decision making.

“The government is implementing a novel intervention called the 24-hour economy. You can't do this if there's no data,” Dr. Iddrisu stated.

He revealed that discussions between the GSS and the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat are already underway to identify the indicators, benchmarks, and datasets needed to track the initiative's progress and impact.

“Quite recently, we have engaged the 24 Economy Secretariat to make sure that whatever data is needed, whatever indicators are needed, the Statistical Service puts itself in a position to be able to supply that. So we are partnering with the 24 Economy Secretariat to do just that,” he said.

Dr Iddrisu noted that the growing complexity of global challenges, ranging from climate change to geopolitical tensions, has made data driven governance more important than ever. In such circumstances, he said, governments must ensure that limited resources are directed toward programmes that deliver the greatest benefits.

“When you are faced with a situation like that, you need to make sure that the little resources you have are actually directed towards programmes and activities that will yield you the best returns,” he said.

According to him, access to quality data remains essential for governments seeking to make timely, informed, and effective policy decisions.

“You need to make sure that you are taking decisions prudently, you are taking decisions on time, and you are taking decisions that would guarantee progress. If you don't have data readily available, you cannot do that,” he stressed.

The Government Statistician highlighted recent efforts by the GSS to expand data production and improve accessibility for policymakers, businesses, researchers, and households.

As an example, he pointed to the publication of multidimensional poverty statistics covering all 261 districts in the country, providing detailed insights into poverty levels across areas such as income, education, employment, and health.

He explained that the availability of district level data allows both government and development partners to better target interventions where they are needed most.

“When you are able to do that, then we are able to give policymakers and other stakeholders the ability to actually direct resources at where they are most needed,” he said.

Beyond its support for the 24-Hour Economy agenda, the Statistical Service is also undertaking major reforms aimed at improving the quality of economic data. These include the rebasing of Ghana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI), two key indicators used to assess the country's economic performance.

Dr Iddrisu said the exercise is progressing steadily and could be completed by the middle of 2027, provided funding continues to be released on schedule.

“The Minister of Finance is graciously supporting us with resources to do that. It is our considered opinion that if we are fully resourced and the releases come on time, between now and the middle of 2027, we will be able to fully rebase the CPI and then the GDP so we have better data that can support national development,” he noted.

He also called for a shift in national thinking regarding statistics, arguing that data should be regarded as critical infrastructure in the same way roads, schools, and hospitals are viewed.

“We have to begin to treat data and statistics as infrastructure, just as we treat roads as infrastructure, education infrastructure and health infrastructure,” he said.

Dr Iddrisu maintained that sustained investment in statistical systems would be essential to supporting Ghana's long term economic transformation and safeguarding recent gains in macroeconomic stability.

Despite the growing demand for statistical information, he disclosed that the GSS continues to operate with severe staffing shortages.

“We are supposed to be working with about 560 staff to do the work we are doing. We are currently working with only 250 staff,” he disclosed.

To support ongoing reforms, he said the Ministry of Finance has earmarked GH¢207 million in the 2026 Budget for CPI rebasing activities, with part of the allocation already released.

He appealed for continued financial support and increased staffing to enable the Statistical Service to effectively deliver the data required for national planning and development.