KARACHI: Good-quality, open and easy access to statistics and data is critical for Pakistan’s sound policy making and project design, Karandaaz Pakistan chairperson Dr Shamshad Akhtar said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a webinar held to mark the launch of Karandaaz’s data portal, she noted that as the country comes out of the shadows of the pandemic, digital connectivity to, among others, deepen financial inclusion has emerged to be a sustainable solution to reduce poverty and rejuvenate the economy.

“Pre-Covid gaps in financial inclusion have been glaring. Karandaaz has been working with the government, regulator and all stakeholders to realise the vision of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy and meet the targets of enhancing financial inclusion across gender and geography.

Within this context, timely and reliable statistics and data portal will play a critical role in the design of futuristic policies and monitoring of ground progress,” Akhtar said.

“As a regulator of the financial sector of any country, the central bank’s reliance on credible data for making policies that are likely to trigger growth and progress are fundamental. Although there is a lot of data available out there, there is a definite need for a consolidated source that is perceived as unbiased, credible, and pro-growth,” said Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan Sima Kamil.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2021