''Pakistan Bureau of Statistics'' (PBS), which is being established in consultation with the World Bank and UK Department for International Development (DFID), will not disclose names of individuals, firms and instructions while disseminating information to third parties, sources told Business Recorder. The Cabinet in its meeting July 12, 2006 had approved the summary on restructuring/reorganisation of the federal statistical system.
The summary involved drafting of a unified law through merging the existing laws and covering new requirements, and merger of the present data collecting organisations/attached departments of Statistics Division ie Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), Population Census Organisation (PCO), Agricultural Census Organisation (ACO) and Technical Wing of Statistics Division into an autonomous ''Pakistan Bureau of Statistics'' (PBS).
The draft law, prepared accordingly by the Statistics Division, was circulated among all stakeholders, including relevant federal and provincial departments, for comments. The provincial governments have recently, again, been approached for their no-objection/concurrence on the draft law on the advice of Cabinet Division, sources said.
The governments of Balochistan and NWFP have indicated their ''no objection'', while the governments of Sindh and Punjab have raised some policy issues as indicated by the Law Division, which have been addressed to the extent possible, sources added.
They said that the law in the form of an ordinance was submitted to the Prime Minister (of Caretaker Government) through Secretary Law with the proposal to advise the President to promulgate the Ordinance in terms of rule 16 (2). The Prime Minister Secretariat, however, suggested certain amendments in the Ordinance and advised that it be submitted for the consideration of the Cabinet.
However, the Statistics Division could not submit it earlier due to political reasons. The amended draft law, in the light of suggestions of the Prime Minister Secretariat, has been further amended in the light of comments recently received from the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which are also supporting this endeavour, sources said.
According to sources, the Cabinet in its meeting on July 12, 2006 had approved that the governing council of PBS would comprise three government and two non-government representatives. However, with a view to making the governing council more technical and to establish an autonomous, professional and credible Bureau number of members of the council have been increased in the draft Bill- from five to seven - with three government and four non-governmental representatives.
Sources said that the Cabinet in its meeting on September 12, 2007 had decided that in future all Ministries/Divisions should lay down the tenure and age limit of their Chairman. Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Members in the draft legislation, if they are from the private sector, will be tenured on the lines of amendment made in the National Commission for Human Development (NCDH) Ordinance with regard to its Chairman and Members.
In the present draft Bill, the upper age limit for the posts of Chief Statistician and functional Members of PBS has been kept at 65 years, however, their initial tenure has been prescribed as five and four years respectively (instead of three years) as it may be essential for development of an impartial statistical system. The law amended in the light of comments from different quarters has been vetted by the Law & Justice Division as a Bill entitled "General Statistics (Reorganisation) Act, 2009" for submission to the Parliament.
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE PROPOSED BILL ARE AS UNDER:
(i) The PBS will be a statutory body with the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) and ACO to be merged immediately on promulgation of Act while the technical wing of Statistics Division and the PCO will be merged after decision for continuation or otherwise of Statistics Division and the completion of the process of national census scheduled to be held in 2009, respectively (Section 60(1)).
(ii) The Bureau will have a technical apex body namely "Governing Council" with three governmental and four non-governmental representatives. The Council has been provided powers for setting up objectives, frame policy guidelines of the bureau and to oversee the working of the bureau effectively. (iii) A National Users Council comprising of data users shall be appointed by the Governing Council with adequate representation of the private sector to provide advice on priorities for filling gaps in statistical data
(iv) The procedure and tenure of appointment as well as the manner of removal of the Chief Statistician, being Chief Executive Officer of the bureau, and the functional members has also been prescribed to provide them an independent working tenure of five and four years respectively needed for development of statistical system. (v) The law also provides for the Provincial Governments to appoint Provincial Statistical Authorities whose functions have also been defined.
(vi) Provision has been made for release and dissemination of data by the Statistical Authority while protecting the secrecy of individuals, firms and institutions as per law.
(vii) Establishment of a Statistics Fund has been provided for to provide financial autonomy to the bureau. However, the Auditor General will conduct the audit of accounts of the bureau. (viii) Bureau will prepare annual reports covering its performance during the financial year for submission to the parliament.
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