KUALA LUMPUR: The Heads of the Asean National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and the International Organisations and Development Partners attended the 13th Session of the Asean Community Statistical System (ACSS13) Committee, from November 22 to 24 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Themed "Navigating Official Statistics towards Asean as the Epicentrum of Growth" Malaysia was represented by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) led by its deputy chief statistician, economic programme, Datin Seri Rozita Talha.
In a statement today (December 1), DoSM said its participation in the ACSS meeting was to provide input and feedback for the ACSS Strategic Plan 2021-2025, Annual Work Plan (AWP), progress in data coordination and other issues related to statistical development.
"The ACSS Strategic Plan is a framework prepared to strengthen the Asean statistical mechanism and system through a strategic implementation plan for a period of five years.
"It aims to ensure the effectiveness of the coordination, production, harmonisation, dissemination, and communication of statistics in Asean Member States and also Asean," said the statement.
DoSM said Malaysia, as the chairman of the Working Group on System National Accounts for 2021-2024, had presented the Working Group's progress/implementation of activities throughout this year.
In addition, Malaysia through DoSM was also actively involved in implementing Asean Help Asean Framework (AHAF) courses under each ACSS Working Group, which helped to increase capacity building among other Asean members in line with the ACSS Strategic Plan 2021-2025, it said.
"Malaysia appreciates AseanStats and AMS's efforts in implementing the AHAF courses under each ACSS Working Group, which helped to improve capacity building among the members.
"Malaysia also strongly encourages expanding this AHAF sharing platform and ensures that each implementation of the programme or activity achieves the desired goal," said DoSM.
In another note, DoSM shared that ACSS13 this year was held consecutively with the launch of the United Nations (UN) Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Asia and the Pacific in Indonesia and the opening of the Conference on Data Science and Official Statistics on November 24.
It also pointed out that the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Asia and the Pacific wouldmeet virtually once or twice a year to help guide the work of the regional hub.
In line with the invitation to DoSM to join the Advisory Committee for the Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Asia and the Pacific, DoSM's presence during the ACSS13 session was also to discuss the development of the regional hub, it added.
The 14th Session of the Asean Community Statistical System (ACSS14) Committee will be held next year and will be chaired by Laos. – Bernama