While the Statistics Act - the vehicles for transforming the CSO into an autonomous Statistics Botswana - was passed in December 2009, little progress has been made on the ground, much to the ire of staffers who feel in limbo. By contrast, the Competition Act, which entered Parliament and was also passed by legislators in December, is in the process of being fully operationalised, with seven commissioners, including a chairperson, being appointed recently. The Competition Commission is presently headhunting for a CEO. The Statistics Act also envisages a board overseeing committees dealing with 13 forms of statistics guided by a National Statistical System and producing data according to international best practice. However, the board is yet to take shape. The Statistics Bill and the Competition Bill - Bills Number 18 and 17 of 2009 respectively - are both seen as essential building blocks and key ingredients of other progressive economies around the world. At a staff meeting yesterday, Minister Matambo was put under pressure by disgruntled CSO staffers who said the delay in effecting the new Act had opened the door to weightier labour challenges.
"We are asking for your help in making this law come into effect," said Chief Statistician, Ketso Makhumalo. "As it is, DPSM told us to produce pay structures and functional structures for the new organisation and we found ourselves working overtime.
