Over 15.5 Million USD Statistics for Results Project Inaugurated

Addis Ababa ENA September 23/2019 An over 15-million-USD project funded by the World Bank to modernize and enhance the capacity of Ethiopia’s Central Statistical Agency (CSA) is inaugurated today. 

During the inaugural ceremony of the physical infrastructures built by the project and launch of data dissemination portals today, CSA Director-General Biratu Yigezu the 15.5-million-USD project will enhance the capacity of the agency at organizational, human and physical levels that will enable it to   produce and disseminate reliable, accessible and timely statistics.

The director-general thanked the Government of Ethiopia and the World Bank for the financial and technical assistance, adding that almost all the activities planned during the project design have been implemented successfully and most of them have already become operational.

The newly built facilities and physical infrastructures will help CSA to improve the quality, timeliness, accessibility of statistical data for all users and modernize the service, he added.

According to Biratu, the Statistics for Results Facilities (SFR) Project has constructed G+4  branch offices in Mekele, Bahirdar, Hawassa, Ambo, Dessie and Adama. Two additional six storey building are funded by the government.

World Bank Representative, Masako Hiraga said the infrastructure development, including the  buildings and the IT modernization, will help the country manage data effectively and efficiently.

Strong national statistical system increases the country’s capacity for evidence based decision-making through improvements in production, availability, quality and use of statistics, and creates a good coordination among partners for measuring development results, she stated.

Even though the project closes for now, the work on statistical improvement will continue, Hiraga said.

She stated that the Statistics for Results Facility (SRF) was established in 2009 with contributions by the Department for International Development (DFID)and Netherlands, and managed by the World Bank.