.. in light of reported leakage of privileged Facebook information

IN light of recent developments on Facebook, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan is urging the Bureau of Statistics to ensure that modern security measures are in place to secure all data.

“Information is a valuable and powerful tool and with regard to the harvesting of Facebook information by Cambridge Analytica, it is important to ensure that data, including personal data, is secured,” he said yesterday at the launch of an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded US$440 000 National Statistical Development Strategy at the Tower Hotel.

The minister’s warning comes in the wake of a CNN report quoting Facebook as saying that data firm, Cambridge Analytica, may have had privileged information on about 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge.

Minister Jordan said the consequences of a data leakage could be damaging if not dire, especially if such information ends up in the wrong hands.
The minister, as such, implored the Bureau to include security in their discussions which kicked off with a workshop.

As the government embarks on its quest to implement the strategy with the guidance of the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (Paris 21), the minister stressed the importance of data generated by the Bureau, especially in relation to planning, policy formation and efficient leadership.

In order to meet the development challenges of the 21st Century, he believes that there is need for an efficient and effective National Statistical System.
“With the resources at the Bureau, we expect nothing less than sustained growth, because data is needed to guide the policy decisions of the government, which is essential to ensuring that we deliver on our commitment of a good life,” he said.

The strategy is expected to boost the data collection, analysis and dissemination process, because it includes the development of a medium-term plan to develop and improve statistics across the spectrum of government agencies.

Minister Jordan is confident that the strategy will raise the bar in terms of the availability, accuracy and timely dissemination of information so essential to decision-making.
The minister and other officials were optimistic that the strategy will ensure that the data collected by Guyana is comparable to data across the world.

According to the minister, the project will come to an end in March 2018, but there will be enough findings to help with the planning of medium- and long-term goals.
Information is critical to the development of sound policies to address issues of healthcare, poverty and education among other things so Jordan said the strategy will help them to plan effectively.

Chief statistician of the Bureau, Lennox Benjamin, said this is not the first IDB project geared towards the development of statistics. He noted that the IDB had funded a social statistics standard analysis project from 2005 to 2009.
Benjamin said that project laid the foundation for statistical development, since several small statistical units were established at various agencies.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bureau, Nelson Modeste echoed the sentiments of Benjamin and the minister, but said that the new project is essential because Guyana will soon produce oil and restructure its economy according to the Green-State Development Strategy.

As the economy becomes open for new investments, he said it is important for the bureau to explore the possibilities of having data on labour productivity.