Zambia's Central Statistical Office (CSO) has announced that it will start using newly developed technology to calculate the national inflation rate, in a bid to improve efficiency and transparency.
The CSO is one of many government departments that are being digitised by the Zambian government in order to promote e-government by allowing citizens to access public information.
CSO acting director of census and statistics John Kalumbi says the new computerised geometric model is a switch from the conventional arithmetic system. He adds that it is secure, and is in line with international best practice.
Zambia has long been using an outdated D-base system when calculating the inflation rate, but the new system would be more user-friendly and transparent.
Kalumbi said last week that the CSO has implemented the consumer price index (CPI) based on the new methodology. This includes new software for processing the CPI, new weights, new index reference periods and a revised basket of products.
The project, Kalumbi said, has been in the making since 2006, and was funded by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Africa Development Bank through various stages of development and validation.
“Effective this month, the inflation rate would be produced based on the new international system,” Kalumbi said.
Additionally, the checking centres for the prices of goods in the country would increase by almost 42%, from the current 2 115 to 3 000.
The Bank of Zambia, the Jesuits Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), the University of Zambia and the Zambia Institute for Policy Research were among the Zambian organisations that were consulted in the development of the new technology.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), a regional economic bloc headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, was also involved in the development of the new technology.
The country's food basket and inflation rates are produced and presented monthly by the CSO in an attempt to help the general public use the data and information for sustainable national development and decision-making.
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