Parliamentary hearings were held on discussing the draft of Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On Official Statistics”

Publications: 30.10.2018

October 30, 2018, parliamentary hearings were held on discussing the draft of Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On Official Statistics” on the initiative of the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic M. Mademinov and B. Turusbekov.

Consistent, reliable and internationally comparable statistics have paramount importance for monitoring country’s socio-economic progress. Official statistics is an important tool for making evidence-based political decisions, as well as for ensuring transparency and accountability in economic and social reform processes, and allows policy makers to develop the necessary strategies, monitor and objectively evaluate the results of their activities.

In 2011, at the request of the National Statistical Committee, there was conducted the Global Assessment of the National Statistical System of the Kyrgyz Republic by experts from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the European Free Trade Association and the European Statistical Commission. Among the main recommendations of the Global Assessment was the need to bring the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On State Statistics” into full compliance with international norms and standards in the field of official statistics.

In January 2014, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Fundamental Principles of Statistics and emphasized the critical important role of high-quality official statistics in making informed decisions.

In this regard, as part of the ninth tranche project of the United Nations Development Account for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, a Model Law on Official Statistics was developed and recommended as a document necessary to adapt the fundamental principles of official statistics.

The presented draft of law was developed in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics the provisions of the aforementioned Model Law and taking into account the requirements and peculiarities of the national legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The draft law is aimed at ensuring the effective functioning of the national statistical system, producing high-quality official statistics, strengthening public confidence in official statistics, as well as improving the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic in the field of statistics by bringing it in full compliance with the UN Fundamental Principles in Official Statistics, as well as international level statistical standards and guidelines.

The main innovations of the draft law are the new system of official statistics, the fundamental principles of the United Nations in the field of statistics, the open policy of the National Statistical Committee and the involvement of civil society in the activities of the Council on Statistics.

The Law lays down the obligations of respondents who provide data for statistical purposes, the guarantee of their rights and the provisions for the protection of confidential data. The law regulates the access of the National Statistical Committee to administrative data sources and their use for statistical purposes.

The main elements covered by the new version of the Law are:

• Definition of official statistics as opposed to administrative information;

• Determination and identification of various types of producers of official statistics;

• The principle of professional independence of organizations and organizational units producing official statistics;

• The role of the National Statistical Committee as the main producer of official statistics and coordinator of the national statistical system in the country;

• Operational and strategic planning with a focus on existing and emerging user needs;

• Authority to collect data and access to administrative data sources and other data;

• Principles and procedures for handling confidential statistical data;

• Quality management taking into account the interests of users;

• Principles of disseminating official statistics to all relevant user groups.

The event was held with the participation of deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh, representatives from the President’s Office, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic and other state bodies, users of statistical data, non-governmental organizations and the expert community, as well as international organizations involved in improving the quality of statistical data.

For reference: At this time, the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic processes about 3.7 billion primary indicators, does 24 thousand statistical works, produces 350 statistical publications and 900 express information.

In the frame of cooperation with the EAEU 487 static works are done according to the Program of Work of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

In the frame of cooperation with the CIS Statistical Committee, about 600 statistical works were done in accordance with the Program of Work of the CIS Statistical Committee.

According to the results of the world ranking Open Data Inventory 2016 (Open Data Inventory), statistical data published on the open data portal of the National Statistical Committee ranked first among the countries of Central Asia, and among the countries of the world - 33rd out of 173 countries of the world. The statistical data published by Kyrgyzstan meet the set conditions - the level of coverage and openness.