An Appraisal of the Role of Statistical Series and Indicators in the Alleviation of Poverty

Abstract

Poverty is one of the major problems hindering the growth and development of small and medium scale industries today. In the history of man, poverty has been in constant presence but its meaning has changed over time. Despite the various efforts of Government over the years in alleviating poverty, there seems to be no significant improvement in the standard of living of the people. Prompt collection and analysis of data series and indicators that would provide a direction and extent of poverty in the country are to be emphasized. It is recommended that timely, complete and reliable statistics should be collected to create and sustain an environment, which fosters strong equitable development and it is an essential ingredient for formulating sound policies for alleviating poverty. Such Statistical information provides the direction and knowledge required for the development or growth of the society.