THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL AUTHORITY ACT, 1952
(ACT NO. 34 OF 1952)
BURMA
The Central Statistical Authority Act, 1952 (Act No. 34 of 1952)
It is hereby enacted as follows
[Short Title and Commencement]
1. (1) This Act may be called the Central Statistical Authority Act, 1952.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the President may be notification appoint in this behalf
[Definition]
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires oprescribedo means prescribed by this Act or by rules made thereunder.
[Collection of Statistics]
3. The President may by notification direct that statistics shall be collected in respect of such place as may be specified in the notification, concerning any matters so far as they relate to the economy of the Union of Burma or the Social conditions and welfare of the people.
[Appointment Director of the Central Statistical and Economics Department etc]
4. (1) The President shall appoint an officer to be designated the Director of the Central
Statistical and Economics Department who of shall serve as the Central Statistical Authority for the purpose of the collection of any statistics under this Act.
(2) The President may appoint such Deputy Directors other officers and staff of the Central Statistical and Economics Department for the purpose of this Act, and a Deputy Director so appointed shall exercise and perform such powers and function of the Director as may be delegated to him by rules made under section 14.
[Main Functions of Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department]
5. (1) It shall be the duty of the Director of the Central Statistical and Economics Department to:
(a) develop a comprehensive, efficient and reliable statistical system for social and economic policy, effective planning and administration
(b) review and advise on all statistical operations of the Union Government whether performed for statistical, administrative, or other purposes
(c) coordinate and integrate statistics and statistical operations
(d) establish prescribe and maintain the highest statistical standards
(e) organize and conduct social and economic censuses or surveys with reference to Burma’s economic needs and requirements, either on a prepared planned basis or on short notice as may be required.
(2) The Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department may, however, vary or adjust the programme and scope of such censuses or surveys, within the limit, if funds provided for in the budget, with a view to meeting exigencies which may arise, or conducting with due expedition and efficiency
[Power of Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department to call for Returns Information]
6. (1) The Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department may serve or caused to be served, directly or through such officers or staff of the Central Statistical and Economic Department or other agency as he may designate, on any person, under-taking or institution a notice requiring in such interval and in such form and with such particulars as may be prescribed, such information or returns relating to any matter in respect of which statistical are to be collected and to such authority or persons and in such manner and in such time as may be prescribed. The notice referred to may be served by post or telegraph.
[Access to Documents]
(2) The Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department Documents may have access, directly or through such Government Agency as he may designate to any relevant record or document in the possession of any person undertaking or institution required to obtain any information or return for the purpose of the collection of any Statistics under this Act; and to ask any question necessary for obtaining any information required to be furnished under this Act for statistical purposes.
[Confidentiality of Returns]
7. (1) No individual return, and no part of an individual return of Returns made, and no information with respect to any particular person undertaking or institution given, for the purposes of this Act, shall, without the previous consent in writing of that person or institution or owner for the time being of the undertaking, in relation to which the return or information was made or given, or his authorized agent, be published in such a manner as enable any particulars to be identified as referring to a particular person, institution or undertaking.
(2) Except for the purposes of a prosecution under this Act or under the Penal Code, no person not engaged in connection with the collection, compilation or analysis of statistics under this Act shall be permitted to see any individual return or information collected under this Act.
[Penalty for Refusal or Falsification of Returns]
8. Whoever -
(a) wilfully refuses on without lawful excuse neglects to furnish such information or return as may be required under this Act, or
(b) wilfully furnishes or causes to be furnished any information or return which he knows or believes to be false, or
(c) refuses to answer or wilfully gives a false answer to any question necessary for obtaining any information required to be furnished under this Act, or
(d) obstructs or interferes with the right of access to relevant records and documents conferred by section 6 (2)
shall for each such offence be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred kyats, and for a business establishment in the case of a continuing offence with a further fine which may extend to two hundred kyats for each day after the first during which the offence continues; and in respect of false information, returns or answers the offence shall be deemed to continue until true information or a turn return or answer has been given or made.
[Cognizance of Offences]
10. No prosecution under section 8 shall be instituted except by or with the sanction of the Director of the Central Statistical and Economics Department and no prosecution under section 9 shall be instituted except by or with the sanction of the President. Determination.
[Determination of Owner of Undertaking in certain Cases]
11. (1) Where the owner of an undertaken is a firm or other association of individuals any one of the individual partners or members thereof may undertaking prosecuted and punished under this Act for any offence for which the in certain owner of the undertaking is punishable.
Provided that the firm or association may give notice to the Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department that it nominated one of its members who is resident in the Union of Burma to be the owner of the undertaking for the purposes of this Act, and such individual shall so long as he is so resident be deemed to be the owner of the undertaking for the purposes of this Act until further notice cancelling his nomination is received by the Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department or until he ceases to be a partner or member of the firm or association.
(2) Where the owner of an undertaking is a public company, any one of the Directors thereof, or, in the case of a private company, any one of the shareholders thereof, may be prosecuted and punished under this Act for any offence for which the owner of the undertaking is punishable.
Provided that the public company may give notice to the Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department that it has nominated a Director, or, in the case of a private company, a share-holder, who is resident in either case in the Union of Burma, to be the owner of the undertaking for the purposes of this Act, and such director of shareholder, as the case may be, shall, so long as resident, be deemed to be the owner of the undertaking for the purposes of this Act until farther notice cancelling his nomination is received by the Director of Central Statistical and Economics Department or until he ceases to be a director or shareholder.
[Public servants]
12. The Director, the Deputy Director and Other officers and staff of the Central Statistical and Economics Department appointed tinder this Act shall be deemed, when acting or purposing to act insurance of any provisions of this Act, to be public servants within the meaning of Section 21 of the Penal Code.
[Saving]
13. No suit, prosecution or other proceedings shall be instituted in any Court against any person in respect of anything in good faith done or intended to be done under the provisions of this Act or the rules made whereunder.
[Power of the President to make Rules]
14. (1) The president may, by notification and subject to the President condition of previous publication make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing powers, the President may make rules regulating the exercise of the right of access to document conferred by section 6(2).