Based on my experience as a central banker for more than 30 years, it requires a deep understanding of the economy and the financial system to make the right policy decisions. Such policy formulations needs to be based on rigorous assessments that provides the insights that will guide the decision making process. This is aided by relevant statistics, and complemented by sound judgement. Central banks are therefore not only major consumers of statistics, but also producers and disseminators of monetary and financial data. More importantly, central banks, have placed much importance on providing sufficient analysis and assessment in conjunction with the release of statistics. This aims to provide context, avoid misinterpretation and reduce uncertainty for the economic agents. BIS central bankers’ speeches  1  Key global trends shaping the universe of statistics As the world evolves, two key trends have emerged and in turn, created new and diverse demands, challenges, and opportunities in the field of statistics. First, the steady liberalisation and deregulation of economies and financial markets have resulted in intricate interlinkages within domestic financial systems and spanning across borders. While financial markets have become more interconnected globally, capital and labour mobility across borders have also intensified while trade and investment barriers have been dismantled. This has resulted in closer proximity to growing markets and facilitated the creation of globalised supply chains by corporations. These developments have had wide ranging benefits, including better risk diversification, improved efficiency and greater economies of scale.

This is well exemplified by the recent emphasis on the need for regular stress testing to understand the effects of shocks on the solvency of individual banks, the stability of the entire financial system, the broader economy and, more importantly, the feedback effects. The roles of granular statistics and sound stress testing methodologies have become vital. While the recent global financial crisis has necessitated a substantial policy focus to address short-term challenges, policymakers also need to keep sight of the economy’s long-term vision. Continuous structural reforms are needed to strengthen fundamentals and improve economic resilience. This involves measures to remove structural bottlenecks, improve productivity and promote innovation and enhance competitiveness. Formulating such structural policies to improve growth prospects hinges on rigorous empirical research in these areas. For Malaysia, the economy is currently undergoing a transition towards becoming a higher value added economy. This has involved setting clear, time-bound and measurable targets, to allow for the policy approach to be focused. This has depended heavily on the availability of good data and statistics that capture developments across all sectors. It also enables us for the monitoring of the progress and the effectiveness of the policies. It is also now widely recognised that economic growth can only be sustainable if it is inclusive. Growth will only slow as income disparities widen. It is also recognised that financial inclusion is an important contributor towards achieving such a more inclusive economic development.