Labour to raise further questions over statistics

The Labour Party is not satisfied with the report of the National Statistics Office explaining its recent statistical revisions and has promised to raise more questions in the coming week.

Dr Sant yesterday said that the report - published on Friday just as the country was concentrated on Archbishop Paul Cremona's consecration - raised more issues about the revisions than first brought up by Labour.

On the same day the technical report was published, the head of the NSO, Gordon Cordina, resigned as a result of the controversy.

The MLP earlier this month issued its own report in reaction to the changes released on December 7, which mainly concern GDP figures.

The major contention was over a downward revision to GDP figures up to 1995 and an upward revision for the last three years coinciding with the Gonzi administration.

Speaking at a party activity at the MLP headquarters in Hamrun, Dr Sant questioned the timing of the NSO report.

"Why was it published during such an important moment, when the government had the report in hand two weeks earlier," he asked. "And why was Mr Cordina's resignation not announced earlier, when the government knew two days before. What is the government trying to hide?"

Both Dr Sant and Labour's deputy leader Charles Mangion sought to clarify that their criticism was not directed at Dr Cordina but that they were entitled to criticise what they believe to be baffling revisions.

Both said it was normal practice for such an office to be criticised. In France, Dr Sant pointed out, there is currently a controversy raging precisely over the fact that the French statistics office had failed to publish employment statistics as the presidential elections got closer.

Making reference to Dr Cordina's letter of resignation, Dr Sant suggested that the NSO head might be a scapegoat. "Maybe the government is using him. We have criticised a number of people over the past years but nobody resigned."

Dr Sant said he now expected the Prime Minister to reply to the questions that Labour was going to raise, seeing how the PM is ultimately responsible for the NSO.

The party's experts, he added, had already prepared a preliminary reaction to the NSO's report and it would be made public this week.

Attempts to contact Dr Cordina since his resignation have proved futile.