File Photo: James Hoth Mai, Minister of Labour in his office in Juba, South Sudan on June 22, 2021. Credit| Lou Nelson/Eye Radio.

The Minister of Labour, James Hoth Mai, has said that credible statistics are key to effective policymaking in South Sudan’s labour sector.

He made the remarks during the launch of an eight-day training organized by the National Bureau of Statistics in Juba.

The training, which runs from 3rd to 12th September 2025, focuses on labour force and migration surveys, child labour issues, international labour statistics standards, and the final review of the Labour Force Questionnaire.

James Hoth Mai said employment, migration, and livelihoods are central to the country’s national development.

“As you all know, reliable Data is the backbone of sound policymaking in the labor sector. Where employment, migration, and livelihood are the center of national development, our ability of accrued upgrades and up-to-date data is critical,” he said.

He said the government cannot design effective policies, measure progress, or assess the impact of its programs without reliable data.

“Without credible statistics, we cannot design effective policies that are one of our progress or make impact of our intervention on the lives of our people,” he added.