Islamabad : Politicising economy is fatal for Pakistan at a time when the country is undergoing a very serious political situation, therefore, we must prioritize the evidence-based data in trade and commerce to depoliticize our economy, said experts at a webinar on ‘Strengthening Evidence-informed Decision-making in Pakistan's Trade Sector’, organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
SDPI Executive Director Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that SDPI’s food security dashboard, which ensures evidence-based prediction of food items and their prices, is a prime example of it. He was of the view that the Russia and Ukraine conflict also demand the use of evidence-based policy action to avert any emergency of food shortage, and supply chain.
Referring to ‘Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact’ (SEDI), a programme launched in Uganda, Ghana, and Pakistan to contribute towards more efficient and effective decision-making by the partner governments, he said SEDI is of immense importance, especially in the unprecedented times like the COVID-19.
Naveed Aziz, Governance Advisor, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said that the better use of data in improving performance and accountability is of utmost importance. He was of the view that improving the government capacity to expedite PC1 is only possible with evidence-based data. He stressed the need for updating the database by the provincial governments in their important ministries. “We do not have a dearth of data but to have it on routine and real-time and their use by the provincial and federal governments is important,” Naveed said.
Harry Achillini, Research, and Evidence Adviser, FCDO said that SEDI has been contributing to the evidence-based policy input in trade in different countries, including Pakistan, which has yielded fruitful results in many respects. Rahika Menon, Head of Evidence Use Hub, Oxford Policy Management, India said that in every crisis there are opportunities and so as in the pandemic, which proved for us to do informed and evidence-based policies and decisions.