BEIJING, (Reuters) – China is going to increase scrutiny of its statistics agency in order to address the “outstanding issues” related data falsification and fraud. This was stated by the Communist Party’s anticorruption inspection unit on Friday.

The National Bureau of Statistics has been “resolutely probing” cases that violate statistical discipline or laws and have dealt with them in the recent past, but the problem of statistical fraud remains prominent,” stated a statement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The NBS provides key data, including China’s GDP (gross domestic product) figures.

China’s annual goal for economic growth is 5.5%. However, economists are unsure if it can do so amid growing geopolitical threats and global commodity price inflation.

A handful of regions created an “illusion” of economic growth through falsifying data. Some local authorities also issued secret directives to manipulate data.

Data fraud is being found in more areas including R&D funding ratios, energy intensity and carbon intensity that typically reflects the quality of economic and social development, the anti-graft watchdog said.

Carbon intensity and energy intensity measure the quantity of carbon emitted and energy used per unit GDP. They are used to assess the country’s climate action efforts.

CCDI inspectors stated that local officials tend to prioritise growth over other areas, and/or seek out statistics to highlight their individual achievements.

CCDI will conduct random inspections of data quality and oversee the creation and maintenance of an accountability system between local authorities in order to detect and punish statistical fraud.

The statement stated, “We will continue to break the evil tendencies (of forging data),”.