ISLAMABAD: With the budget set to be presented at end of April, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is in a conundrum as it faces a challenge of determining growth figure and other economic indicators for FY 2017-18.
PBS is facing a crisis as it is determining current financial year 2017-18 data without the presence of two critical financial posts, member National Accounts Committee and Chief Statistician PBS, reported The News.
According to source aware of this occurrence on Wednesday stated the PBS would have to complete determining economic indicators, specifically growth figures of gross domestic product (GDP) in absence of chief statistician and member National Accounts.
However, official remain confident they would be able to prepare the concluding data for last financial year on time, which is a requirement for the annual budget announcement.
The PBS is encountering a major shortage of human resources at a time when the government is set to unveil the budget before parliament on April 27th, 2018.
As a temporary measure, the statistics division has handed over acting charge of chief statistician to Mr. Sajid Akhtar, who was originally employed as member economics statistics.
Since the setting up of PBS in 2018, it will be the first time the secretary statistics division has sent newly-framed regulations to establishment division as it had ben operating without any regulations informed by establishment division.
The official shared National Accounts Committee (NAC) was the appropriate council which constituted of provincial and federal ministries and departments for determining provisional estimates of GDP for retiring financial year.
He added the GDP figures were finalized by NAC which conducts a meeting in this regard presided over by chief statistician.
The government has dismissed the selection of new chief statistician for PBS various times.
An official summary in this regard has been sent to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi which seeks approval for appointment of a candidate holding PHD degree in economics or statistics with appropriate salary and perks to the post of Chief Statistician.
Currently, two critical positions of member National Accounts and chief statistician have remained unfilled for several months now and government has failed to appoint and find a suitable applicant for these posts.
And Secretary Statistics Division, Rukhsana Yasmeen stated GDP growth figures would be concluded before the presentation of the budget in end-April.
