Extra $40 million to boost Statistics

Nearly $40 million extra funding for Statistics New Zealand will mean information collected is more rigorous, wide-ranging and in-depth, according to Statistics Minister John Tamihere.

Budget 2003 provides a total of $39.7 million extra funding for Statistics New Zealand over four years. The extra funding covers:

$17.4 million extra funding for the Census (on top of $42.6 million over five years of existing funding). This initiative will increase funding to the five-yearly Census cycle to restore and maintain appropriate levels of Census data quality, fund feasibility studies and testing of the use of the Internet for collecting Census data, and improve response from groups in the population who have been under-represented in previous censuses.

$10 million to increase Statistics New Zealand's capability, including maintaining core statistics and building capabilities through reshaping the workforce and graduate recruitment.

$5.7 million to improve macro-economic statistics and address quality shortcomings in published macro-economic statistics, such as annual and quarterly Gross Domestic Product and Price Indexes.

$6.3 million operating plus $4.2 million capital to secure new accommodation in the Wellington CBD due to the expiry of the leases on the two buildings currently occupied by Statistics New Zealand.

"Improved statistics will enhance planning, efficiency and decision-making by the government, business and financial markets, promote public accountability, and meet the information needs of international organisations and business," Mr Tamihere said.

"It will contribute to key government goals by providing authoritative official statistics that will measure progress towards objectives and inform public policy formulation."

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