ISLAMABAD, July 31: Federal Board of Statistics (FBS) is about to start a new survey entitled “Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire Survey” to provide household data at district level for the PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper), according to a reliable source.

The survey, it is envisaged, would also be helpful in formulation of district level plans.

Meanwhile, the FBS has entered into the final stage of its Economic Census which was started in 2002-03. The first such exercise objective is to develop an up-to-date data-base for all the establishments and households engaged in any kind of economic activity.

This data-base, it is envisaged, would be used as sampling frame for the conduct of more detailed and frequent economic surveys subsequently.

About 95pc data collection work in rural areas and 45pc in urban areas has been completed. Simultaneously, 60pc of the data relating to rural areas collected has already been processed.

Only major cities now remain to be covered under the Economic Census. These are: Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi.

A senior FBS official told Dawn that the bureau was confident of its ability to complete the Economic Census by December this year.

A major activity in this connection was the development of the Urban Sampling Frame which has to be updated after every 5 years, a senior FBS official explained.

FBS also undertook the preparation of Quarterly National Accounts (QNAs) during 2002-03. For this purpose, its staff has completed decomposition of national accounts in respect of all the sectors except for the construction sector.

Expected to be completed during the current financial year, the QNAs are aimed at facilitating the development and simulation of the statistical system in the areas of macro-economic framework. This is part of the efforts to adopt the United Nations System of National Accounts, the source emphasised.

The FBS has also undertaken a study on the “Aging Population” - the growing segment of the population for whose welfare the government has yet to formulate any programme. Likely to be presented in August, this is the first of the series of studies based on the Population Census, 1998, of various segments of the population.

In reply to a question, the source said that the FBS had already placed on its website www.statpak.gov.pk the results of its Integrated Household Survey and Household Economic Survey.

These survey, it will be recalled, caused a veritable furore in government circles because of its depiction of increasing poverty in Pakistan.

Finding it difficult to reconcile themselves to the data brought out by these surveys and in conflict with the rosy picture of the state of Pakistani society presented in official reports, they took issue with the sampling methodology of the FBS.

Nevertheless, the Federal government set up a committee headed by Dr Munir Ahmed, Rector, National College of Business Administration, Lahore, and comprising statisticians from Quaid I Azam University and other institutions.

Meanwhile the government has not filled the post of Director General, FBS, since retirement last May of Dr N.M. Larik. Similarly, the post of Agricultural Census Commissioner which fell vacant on retirement of its previous incumbent lying vacant.