Enhancing State Statistical Work

 

While affirming the importance of statistical work, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dao Quang Thu stressed that, in the current context of domestic and global economic volatility, changing economic data are the headache of policymakers. A good statistical work will help lawmakers and authorities to have an overview and forecast future developments to work out the best economic management strategies. But, to meet this high-grade need, the amendments and supplement s to the Statistics Law are necessary. We need to make a more specific definition and position of statistical work. Besides, we need to stress and make clearer regulations on the autonomy of statistical activities by extending the provisions on the rights to autonomy and the power for this autonomy. This fact has been proven in reality. The enforcement of the Statistics Law has played an important role in the development of statistics sector and made significant contributions to the country’s social and economic construction and development. The remarkable results that the statistics sector of Vietnam has achieved in the past time affirm the great significance and importance of the Statistics Law to the renovation process of the Vietnamese statistical system.

 

In the context of international integration, the statistical sector in general and the State statistical system in particular need to perfect themselves to approach international standards and better suit the country’s social and economic characteristics, especially when Vietnam has officially entered the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and accelerated its deepening and broadening integration into the world economy, Deputy Minister Thu said.

 

Mr Nguyen Van Lieu, Deputy General Director of General Statistics Office (GSO) and Head of Compiling Board for Amended Statistics Law, affirmed that this amendment and supplement to the Statistics Law aims to strengthen the regulatory environment for statistical activities in order to improve statistical quality in our country to match the orientations stated in the Vietnam Statistics Development Strategy in the 2011 - 2020 phase, with a vision to 2030. Major contents of the revised Statistics Law include the expansion of regulatory scope and applicable entities where the suppliers of information are defined the State agencies and newly established economic forms. Unsuitable structures and contents will be also amended, he said.

 

Besides, he said, to have good statistics, we need to clearly define and continue to improve the legal position of the centralised statistical system, guarantee the principles of statistical works, especially autonomy and objectivity in professional works. We need to add provisions and clarify authority of central agencies in professional evaluation.

 

Enhancing autonomy

Attendants to the workshop hailed the expansion of regulatory and applicable scope. Specifically, the draft law expands the scope and entity of application. It clearly defines that the suppliers of information are State agencies and newly established economic forms. The decentralisation of statistic power is also clarified to enhance the efficiency of State management over statistical work at central and provincial/municipal levels. The draft law adds regulations related to the statistical information coordinating mechanisms between the General Statistics Office and other ministries and branches.

 

The drafting schedule is however behind time because of many reasons. Polls sent by the GSO to relevant units were tardily replied or even not sent back to the sender. Even, some ideas are sketchy and useless. Controversies over the autonomy of statistic works also puzzle the Drafting Board.

 

Mr Dao Ngoc Lam, consultant for UNDP Project, frankly said that the fourth draft of the Amended Statistics Law needs to supplement the full role and position of statistical work. Besides, it is necessary to underline and clearly define the autonomy of statistical work by expanding the rights to autonomy and the power for this autonomy.

 

Mr Vo Tri Thanh, Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), noted that to give specific and general significance to the Statistics Law, we need to look from the perspective of apparatus, process and coordination. Besides, he emphasised on the legitimacy of statistical agencies, transparency, right of access, and accuracy of statistical information.

 

Regarding statistics service, Mr Tomas P. Africa, international consultant for UNDP Project, said State statistics is the goods that the State funds for production. Users of statistical products must pay only expenses for distribution. Therefore, he proposed making a set of tables used for censuses and surveys. These statistical tables will make up public goods. Other results will be made private goods, or market goods and fees are taken for accessing.