By Issah Mohammed, GNA
Accra, March 12, GNA – The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 25 Ministries, Departments and Agencies to strengthen coordination within the national statistical system.
The agreement seeks to improve the quality, coordination, and responsible sharing of administrative data produced across public sector institutions to support national development planning.
Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician, said the MoUs established clear working arrangements between the GSS and partner institutions at a signing ceremony in Accra.
Under the agreement, the GSS will work with the institutions to finalise data-sharing policies, strengthen statistical units within MDAs, and operationalise technical standards to support data interoperability across government systems.
“In practical terms, these MoUs define what data will be shared, how it will be shared, and when it will be shared. They also designate focal persons, establish technical standards, and introduce review mechanisms to ensure that the system works effectively,” he said.
Dr Iddrisu said for many years government institutions had generated large volumes of data that remained fragmented across institutions, stored in different systems and managed using different standards, making them less accessible for national planning and policymaking.
“By working together, we can transform these data sets into a powerful national asset for development. As the saying goes, data is gold,” he said.
He noted that the initiative was in line with the Ghana Statistical Service Act, 2019 (Act 1003), which mandates the GSS to coordinate the national statistical system, set standards for official statistics and facilitate the sharing of administrative data across government while protecting confidentiality.
Dr Iddrisu said about 17 MDAs had already developed draft data-sharing policies, which were currently being refined.
“Once finalised, these policies will be publicly accessible to improve transparency and responsible data use,” he said.
As part of efforts to strengthen the national statistical system, the GSS will roll out three policy documents.
These include the Data Quality Assurance Framework, which sets standards to ensure that statistics produced across government are accurate, consistent, and reliable.
The Service will also launch the Code of Ethics and Practice for the National Statistical System to reinforce professionalism, integrity and the protection of confidentiality in the production and use of official statistics.
In addition, the GSS will introduce the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS III), which provides a roadmap for modernising Ghana’s statistical system and strengthening coordination across institutions.
Mr Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, said Government recognised the importance of credible statistics for economic management, social policy and national planning.
He said the 2026 national budget made provision to support priority statistical initiatives and strengthen the capacity of Ghana’s statistical services to coordinate the national statistical system.
“Every major decision taken by governments rests on one foundation, and that is information. When that information is reliable, decisions are confident. When it is incomplete or inconsistent, decisions become uncertain,” he said.
Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister of Finance, said the successful implementation of the agreement would strengthen Ghana’s ability to measure progress, evaluate policy impact and deliver development outcomes that improve the lives of citizens.
“Around the world, countries that invest in strong statistical systems achieve better policy outcomes,” he said.
Institutions involved in the agreement include the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, Ministry for the Interior, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Arts, and the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations.
Other agencies include the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Environmental Protection Authority, National Communications Authority, National Disaster Management Organisation and the Births and Deaths Registry.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey