THE Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) and Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will see both entities sharing data, under an inter-agency collaboration arrangement.

The MOU will enable easier monthly transfer of data from PICA to STATIN in relation to the annual count of all persons arriving in and departing the island by air or sea. This collaboration will also facilitate the delivery of back-dated reports, from January 2004 to November 2013, and onwards.

It is expected to assist STATIN in fulfilling its mandate of compiling and disseminating statistics, and creating an electronic database to which the public will have access.

Carol Coy, director general of STATIN, said that the MOU will further assist the agency in developing its population estimates, which capture births, deaths, and migration.

In noting the MOU’s importance, PICA’s Chief Executive Officer Jennifer McDonald said it is indicative of the benefits of inter-agency collaboration, and will result in improved public sector efficiency.