From the Field to the Investment Forum: Strengthening Data for North Sumatera’s Development

High-quality data is the foundation for targeted regional development and for creating a healthy investment climate. Therefore, the Vice Chief Statistician of BPS RI, Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi, conducted a series of working visits in North Sumatera to strengthen the role of statistics in supporting policy-making and driving economic growth.

At Sumatra Investment Day, Sonny emphasized the importance of official data as the basis for assessing a region’s potential, reducing uncertainty, and boosting investor confidence. This commitment was further reinforced through a recess visit with the Commission X of DPR RI as part of the synergy between BPS and stakeholders in strengthening the national data ecosystem.

At the operational level, the Vice Chief Statistician of BPS RI visited the BPS offices in Toba, Humbang Hasundutan, Samosir, and Serdang Bedagai regencies to provide guidance and gather feedback from BPS local staff. These visits served as an opportunity to strengthen organizational capacity so that every stage of statistical operations adheres to the same standards, adapts to on-the-ground challenges, and produces data of increasingly high quality and relevance to development needs.

This commitment to data quality is also demonstrated through direct supervision of the implementation of the 2026 Economic Census. The Vice Chief Statistician of BPS RI participated in the data collection process as an enumerator, conducted random checks of the census results, and ensured that each stage was carried out in accordance with the guidelines. This approach is part of efforts to maintain data quality starting from the field collection process, so that the results of the 2026 Economic Census can provide a comprehensive, accurate, and reliable snapshot of Indonesia’s economy to serve as the basis for development planning in the coming years.