Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi, (VNA) – Deputies of the National Assembly (NA) on November 4 said that statistical data must be built on factors such as accuracy, entirety, punctuality and transparency as they discussed the draft Law on Statistics.
Deputy Do Van Ve told the NA that he agreed with the issuance of the revised draft Law on Statistics, in which the scope of the draft law is expanded to both State and non-State statistical activities.
Ve added that the adjustment of the law also aimed to meet the demand for improving the effectiveness of the State management on statistical work. By doing so, it would help the Government to assess or forecast the economic condition as well as work out strategies for macro-economic administration so as to spur the country's economic development.
The expansion of the scope of the law to all entities will help promote the development of statistical work with an aim to meet the need of organisations and individuals in the use of statistical information for their research, production and business or other legal demands.
Ve said the draft law also stipulated additional specific regulations on statistical work and that the use of statistical information was adaptable.
He said the statistics office was financed by the State and it aimed to provide statistical information for State agencies to conduct their assessment, forecast analysis and strategy planning and meet the demand of organisations and individuals for the use of statistical information.
Ve also said he agreed with the revised law to stipulate specific deadlines and responsibilities of State statistics office to announce and disseminate statistical information so as to ensure provide information timely, accurately, scientifically and practicably.
Deputy Tran Ngoc Vinh, of Hai Phong city, suggested that statistical calculation must be kept under strict discipline and follow mandatory regulations so as to provide accurate statistical information for users.
Vinh said statistical works made by cities, provinces, ministries, and central statistical agencies played an important role in providing statistical data for the Government to outline planning and ministries to get actual data to make their reports.
He said if inaccurate statistical data was made that would be risky. He noted that the NA wanted the revised law to stipulate regulations on statistic works strictly.
Currently, the General Statistics Office (GSO) managed by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) was a body to help the Government in policy planning. If the GSO was an individual agency and was responsible for appraising statistical data of ministries and sectors it would improve the quality of statistical information, he said.
According to the MPI, many ministries and central statistics offices publish one statistical indicator using two different types of data or GDP differences between central and local agencies that lead to discrepancy, contradiction and duplication of statistical information. These shortcomings are a result of lack of awareness of provincial leaders who only excessively care about local economic development achievements.
Besides, another reason that leads to data difference is the provision of varied data, usually far from accurate, by ministries and sectors for statistics agencies, thus resulting in misleading production and business data. Another reason for the statistical difficulty is the self-contained, unshared information of ministries and sectors.-VNA
