The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has called for stronger production and coordination of official statistics to improve national planning, budgeting, policy formulation and monitoring of Uganda’s development agenda.
The call was made by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, during a briefing by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Board of Directors on the Bureau’s performance, achievements, strategic priorities and future interventions.
The meeting was also attended by the State Minister for Planning, Hon. Amos Lugoloobi, and the Minister of State for General Duties, Hon. Cissy Mulondo.
Receiving the briefing from UBOS Board Chairperson Dr. Albert Byamugisha, Musasizi emphasized that reliable data remains the foundation of effective governance and sustainable economic development.
He commended UBOS for consistently producing credible, timely and reliable official statistics that continue to guide government decision-making and support Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
“The production of quality statistics is indispensable for evidence-based planning, sound budgeting and informed policymaking,” Musasizi said, stressing that government institutions must increasingly rely on data to improve service delivery and public resource allocation.
The Finance Minister further directed that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) establish and maintain fully functional statistics units capable of generating and managing administrative data to strengthen the National Statistical System.
He also called for closer collaboration between UBOS and the Ministry of Finance, particularly in budget preparation and other critical government processes, to ensure policy decisions are informed by accurate and up-to-date statistical evidence.
The renewed emphasis comes as Uganda continues implementing the National Development Plan while pursuing its long-term economic transformation agenda, where reliable statistics are expected to play a central role in measuring progress, identifying development gaps and guiding public investment.
Presenting the Bureau’s progress, Dr. Albert Byamugisha reaffirmed UBOS’s commitment to producing high-quality official statistics that meet national and international standards.
He noted that UBOS serves as the coordinator of Uganda’s National Statistical System, bringing together government institutions, local governments, the private sector, academia, civil society organizations, development partners and data users under harmonized statistical standards and quality assurance frameworks.
Byamugisha thanked the Government for its continued support to the Bureau, saying it has enabled UBOS to strengthen statistical production and expand institutional capacity across the country.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to build statistical capacity within MDAs, local governments and other stakeholders through the Plan for National Statistics Development (PNSD), which is aligned with the National Development Plan to ensure official statistics remain responsive to Uganda’s evolving development priorities.
The engagement underscored the growing recognition of statistics as a strategic national asset, with government seeking to deepen data-driven governance, improve public accountability and enhance the effectiveness of development programmes through stronger evidence-based decision-making.
