The government will establish a central database management system (DBS) in a strive to maximise economic and social data integrity, enhance data reliability and minimise data redundancy.
The development is aimed at creating more precise and accurate information useful to the public and private sectors and reducing the undercount of important data that would affect the country's competitiveness and productivity rankings, said Digital Economy and Society (DE) Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj.
The National Statistical Office (NSO) has been assigned as the core agency to lead this development, he said yesterday after delivering a policy speech.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha recently ordered all state agencies to update their data base systems to pave the way for the national central DBS.
"Having a central DBS would allow state agencies to make better decisions about public policy and enhance efficiency in handling disaster management," said Mr Pichet.
Having more precise information, particularly in economic figures, could attract more investment from global companies.
Mr Pichet acknowledged that there is a large amount of information that tends to be undercounted, including research and development expenditure in various industries, that causes damage to the country.
"Lacking accurate figures for R&D expenditure can create negative effects to the country's competitiveness rankings for the world economic forum index," he said.
Mr Pichet admitted that the NSO has had difficulties collecting precise information in several areas that would be seen as business secrets.
"We need to improve the capacity of our statistical inference and estimation system to generate more precise information," he said.
The NSO is in dire need of transforming its existing analogue statistical information into a digital information platform to keep up with the rapidly changing economic and business environments.
The NSO is a state agency that supports the development of digitally-connected communities nationwide.
The development of digital communities is intended to combine digital content and digital infrastructure in order to foster broader adoption of digital services and promote user-driven innovations.
Mr Pichet said the NSO will have to set up social and economic databases on provincial and village bases in the future to ensure benefits for digitally connected communities nationwide.
"Today, people and businesses are familiar with GDP, but the government needs to see gross provincial product (GPP) or even gross village product (GVP), which would efficiently drive the state's digital economy roadmap," he said.
The government began the construction of a national broadband network for 24,700 villages nationwide in December last year. It is expected to be completed this year.
The development is part of the government's efforts to provide affordable high-speed internet access to low-income rural households.