The Statistician-General reported that the strategic importance of statistics is to inform planning, for evidence-based decision-making and for the monitoring and assessment of policies and programmes. The Statistician-General indicated that Stats SA alone cannot produce all the data that is needed for these purposes. Therefore, the production of statistics is a national effort. All government departments and other producers are encouraged to come into the national statistical system where they are assisted to strengthen their administrative records and they adhere to a strict data collection regime.