NASSAU, BAHAMAS– The Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) recently convened the first formal meeting of the National Statistical Committee, bringing together senior representatives from key ministries, government departments, and public agencies at BNSI’s headquarters in Nassau. The milestone meeting marks the full operationalisation of a governance body provided for under the Statistics Act, 2021 and signals a decisive step forward in the coordinated development of official statistics in The Bahamas.
The National Statistical Committee serves as the principal coordination mechanism across the National Statistical System (NSS), bringing together the institutions that produce, use, and depend upon official data to guide public policy and national development.
The inaugural meeting addressed three foundational areas: the role and governance of the Committee within the national statistical framework; key priorities for strengthening the National Statistical System; and opportunities to improve data sharing and coordination among government institutions.
The Committee will also play a central role in supporting the development of a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), a comprehensive policy framework that will guide statistical investment, programming, and operations across The Bahamas for years to come.
Dr. Jamiko Deleveaux, Managing Director of BNSI and Chairman of the National Statistical Committee, underscored the significance of the moment.
“The production of high-quality statistics is not the responsibility of a single institution. It requires strong cooperation among ministries, departments, and agencies across government. The National Statistical Committee provides an important forum to strengthen this collaboration and ensure that The Bahamas continues to produce reliable and timely data to support national decision-making,” stated Dr. Deleveaux.
The convening of the Committee comes at a pivotal moment for the national statistical system. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which has committed support to strengthening BNSI’s institutional capacity, identified the establishment of the National Statistics Committee as a priority objective, alongside the formal adoption of the NSDS and the modernisation of statistical infrastructure. The first meeting of the Committee directly addresses these priorities, placing The Bahamas in alignment with international best practice for national statistical governance.
The establishment of a functioning National Statistical Committee also positions The Bahamas within a broader regional movement. The Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS), established in 1974 under the auspices of CARICOM, has long advocated for coordinated national statistical systems across the region as a foundation for evidence-based governance and sustainable development planning. The Bahamas’ National Statistical Committee strengthens the country’s capacity to contribute to and benefit from regional statistical harmonisation efforts.
The National Statistical Committee will meet monthly, with subsequent sessions expected to advance the governance framework, deepen inter-agency collaboration, and support the formal development and adoption of the NSDS.
