World Bank Economist, Mr. Johan Mistiaen says Micro-Data Management (MDT) Toolkit is vital as it enables statisticians to compile, analyse and disseminate poverty related statistical information.

Mr. Mistiaen said this when addressing statisticians from Southern Africa at the six-day training on MDT toolkit in Maseru on Monday.

He added that the toolkit is software, which will help statisticians to archive information on their websites and compact disks to provide clear records to users.

Meanwhile, he observed that poverty is a major challenge facing African countries, saying that the training will also provide a forum for participants, to discuss ways and means of tackling it for the development of the region.

“With clear records regarding it, governments and stakeholders will have an overview of poverty in different countries so they can find ways of addressing it,” he said.

He noted that at the end of the training, participants will have gained knowledge on how to set up mechanisms for further research and analysis of household survey and other data.

On the other hand, he said participants will also be expected to establish a network of statisticians and researchers so that poverty data can be used effectively.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr. Thabo Sofonea of Bureau of Statistics in Lesotho said the training is important as it will afford them an opportunity to learn and interact with their colleagues from the region.

“We hope that at the end of the training, we will be in a position to use the MDT toolkit for the purposes it is intended for thus compiling, analysing and disseminating poverty related statistical information,” he said.

The training has been organised by Bureau of Statistics, and it is funded by World Bank under a two-year World Bank Trust Project on poverty statistics and analysis in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Participants at the training are statisticians from Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland.

Source: LENA 09/06/2008