ST. GEORGE’S GRENADA, Thursday, April 19, 2012: The Ministry of Finance, Planning, Economy, Cooperatives and Energy is currently preparing to design a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) in Grenada. An NSDS will enable Grenada to build a reliable statistical system that produces the data necessary to design, implement, and monitor national development policies and programmes. It will also help Grenada to meet regional and international commitments with respect to statistics. As a first stage in the Development of the NSDS, a national consultation will take place on Tuesday April 24th, 2012 at the Grenada Trade Centre Annex. This consultation will bring key stakeholders together to assess the National Statistical System by identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that currently exists, and through this, produce a road map which will see Grenada having a highly improved statistical system that produces good statistics that is responsive to the current and future needs of users locally, regionally and internationally. The CARICOM Secretariat and the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) are providing technical support to Grenada in this process. At Tuesday’s consultation, presentations will be made on the Status of Statistics in Grenada; NSDS what and Why; Statistical Development in CARICOM; and the Jamaican Experience with Strategic Planning. Participants will also be placed into discussions groups under the following headings: o The Main Gaps in Statistics in Grenada - user perspective; o Priority Needs of Producing Agencies within the NSS; o Coordination of the NSS- Challenges and Opportunities; o Reform and Restructuring for an Effective NSS by revising of Institutional and Legislative Framework; and o Statistical Advocacy The faciliatation team will include: · Dr. Philomen Harrison, Projector Director for Regional Statistics, CARICOM Secretariat, Guyana. · Ms. Sonia Jackson, Director General, STATIN (Statistical Institute of Jamaica, a statutory body), Jamaica. · Ms. Anna Sarotte, Programme Coordinator, Advocacy, Latin America & the Caribbean, PARIS21, Boulogne-Billancourt, France; and · Mr. Halim Brizan and team from the Central Statistical Office.