Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) has bemoaned the misrepresentation of economic data, saying the misread results affect interpretation.

Ecama Executive Director, Maleka Thula, said this in Lilongwe on Tuesday at a workshop by Ecama and JTI Malawi which involved economists discussing financial variable, data reporting and research experts. According to Thula, some economic indicators are misreported and some required data are not readily available to the public. For instance he spoke of poverty reports saying that the economy has been reported to have been growing for the past five years or so yet the correct growth on average is recorded at 4%.

Maleka Thula also addressed that some reports may be biased as  institutions responsible data compilation may not be independent, having been influenced by other institutions and arms.

Meanwhile, some economic reports collide with findings by the RBM, but most of the times the figures are just predictions justified by the current and future private sector environment.