The Antigua and Barbuda government has raised concerns over conflicting economic growth figures reported by different agencies, prompting discussions on data collection methods and calculations.
Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, Lionel Hurst, said the Cabinet questioned the Statistics Division after it reported 3.6% growth, a figure significantly lower than the 7% cited by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and other financial bodies.
“The Statistics Department reports a growth of 3.6%, which is half as large as the others are reporting,” Hurst said. “So there was an interest in how exactly they arrived at a figure that is so different from what is being published by these other measuring groups.”
During the Cabinet meeting, officials stressed the need for greater coordination between agencies responsible for economic assessments. Hurst noted that various departments, including the Ministry of Finance, track revenue and expenditure data, which influence national growth projections.
“There was an agreement that those who do the calculations should ensure that all the data they rely upon are shared with the Statistics Division so that there isn’t such a wide variation in the measurement,” he said.
While the Statistics Division operates independently, the government has encouraged further collaboration to align methodologies and ensure consistency in reporting.
“The idea is that those who measure growth should work together outside of the political directorate so that they can align their data inputs,” Hurst added.
Authorities say further discussions will be held to review differences in how economic performance is measured, with the aim of producing more uniform assessments in future reports.
