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Country Profile of Republic of Moldova

Main statistical agency
Main statistical agency name
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
Web address
www.statistica.md
Position in the government
National Bureau of Statistics is the central administrative authority founded nearby the Government for conducting and coordinating country’s activity in statistics.
Organizational structure and finance
The statistical system has 2 levels:
I. The central level:
Central office – manages and coordinates administrative and methodological statistical activity in the country. It is composed of 13 divisions and sections (synthesis, dissemination and PR; macroeconomic statistics; statistical infrastructure and financial reports; agriculture and environment statistics; industry, energy and constructions statistics; external trade and services statistics; social and standard of living statistics; labour force market and demographic statistics; sample surveys; international collaboration and European integration; financial-economic and internal audit; HR and secretariat; accounting)

II. The regional level:
Local statistical bodies – ensures collection of primary data from reporting units, initial checking, validation and processing, centralization of data and their presentation to NBS. The structure of local statistical bodies includes 35 regional divisions (sections).

Besides that, NBS has under its subordination 2 financially autonomous entreprises: Publishing House „Statistica” and the Center of Technological Design „Informstat”, that activate as state enterprises. The Heads of these enterprises are appointed by General Director of NBS.
Multi-annual or annual work program
The annual program of statistical works is approved by Government.

Most recent plans:
Strategy of National Statistics Development for the period 2009-2011

Plan of actions of National Statistics Development for the period 2008-2011
Main duties
National Bureau of Statistics develops, independently or jointly with other central administrative authorities, and approves statistical surveys’ methodologies and statistical indicators computation methodologies, in compliance with international standards, especaially European Union’s and also with advanced practice of other countries, as well as taking into account the pecilarities of socio-economic conditions of Republic of Moldova;
organises statistical surveys regarding the situation and social, economic and demographic development of the country, collecting, processing, centralizing, storing and disseminating statistical data;
conducts methodolohgical management and verifies the application of statistical methodology, organization and the state of statistics, autenticity of statistical data received by central and local public autorities, economic agents, regardless of their ownership;
disseminates statistical data ensuring equal and simoultanious access to it;
provides statistical information to central and local public authorities; fulfills, on a contrcat basis, the requests of other beneficiaries, informs the population about social and demographic situation;
together with interested central public authorities, elaborates and takes care of the implementation, in statistical purposes, of classifiers and nomenclatures harmonized to international standards, and in the first place to the European Union’s; creates and administrates statistical registers;
develops and organizes, based on statistical surveys and administrative data sources, the system of national accounts; makes the calculation of macroeconomic indicators;
collects, processes and centralizes financial data reports (book-keeping reports);
assures elaboration and publishing of statistical publications;
assures periodical publishing of aggregated data describing economic and social evolution of the country, realizes statistical marketing activities, satisfies informational requests of statistical data users, organizes press conferences and other events of statistical data diffusion.


Brief history and other relevant background information
Brief history and other relevant background information
After the declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova in 1990, the State Department for Statistics of the Republic of Moldova was created.
The Act on statistics no. 412-XII from December 18, 1990 was approved by Parliament, where the strategy, objectives and problems of statistics where stated.
Starting with year 1991 the process of reformation of statistics according to international standards has started.
In year 1994 the Government approved the „State Program of moving to the global system of accounting and statistics, foreseen for years 1994-1997”. During the process of its realization the basis for creation of national statistical system were established, a system that corresponds to the status of an independent state.
During this period a series of measurements were fulfilled, thus putting the basis for transition to the United Nations’ System of National Accounts (SNA), to elaboration of inter-branch balances, reformation of financial system. New statistical fields were created: external trade, registers and classifiers, enterprise statistics, price and gender statistics.
In 1999 the „Reformation Concept of national statistical system in years 1999-2002” was developed and approved by Government.
For the purpose of accomplishing the Concept, the process of linkaging the national statistical system to international standards has continued, taking into account country’s peculiarities. For this reason important works were executed regarding the improvement of the system of statistical indicators, their computation methodology, testing and implementation of new data collection and calculation methods based on sample surveys: household budget survey, price survey, annual survey of big and small enterprises, private sector in agriculture, labour force survey, different sociological surveys.
In order to facilitate the access to statistical data and a better informatization of internal and external users in different areas, the Web page of the Department of Statistics was launched in year 2002; starting with year 2002 the Statistical Yearbook of Republic of Moldova is also developed on CD Rom.
In March 2003 the statistical library was opened, giving the possibility to consult own statistical publications as well as those that come from different statistical bodies from other countries, and from international organizations.
In 2004 the population census was conducted according to UN recommendations, the first national census after the proclamation of independence of Republic of Moldova.
At the end of year 2004 the new Act “on official statistics” (no. 412-XV from December 9, 2004) was approved, thus making the fundamental basis for reformation of national statistics and its connection to international legislative standards respecting statistical principles, such as: impartiality, statistical deontology, relevance, transparency, confidentiality, cost-efficiency principle, coordination at national level and collaboration at international level.
Nowadays, the activity of NBS is carried out in accordance with the medium-term Program (2004-2006) „Priority directions and Action Plan for development of national statistics”.
On 2nd May 2006, Moldova became the 63rd member state (subscribed to IMF’ Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS).


Legal basis
Legal basis
The legal framework that regulates statistical activity in Republic of Moldova includes in the first place the Act no. 412-XV from December 9, 2004 „on official statistics”, new edition and other legislative and normative documents (Act on book-keeping, Act on registers etc.), decisions and dispositions of the Government.
The act on official statistics can be accessed from the following electronic address: http://www.statistica.md/legal/Legea_statistica_oficiala_en.pdf


Other producers of official statistics
Other producers of official statistics
National Bank of Moldova
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Health and Social Protection
Ministry of Internal Affairs


Statistical advisory bodies
Statistical advisory bodies
"The Collegium of the National Bureau of Statistics was established and is acting in compliance with the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Moldova no. 1049 from 6 October 2005 "Regarding the approval of the National Bureau of Statistics’ Regulation and nominal composition of the NBS Colegium“.

At its meetings the Collegium examines:

Priority problems related to the task fulfilment of official statistical bodies, the functioning of national statistical system, human resources and their training;
Activity of subdivisions from the central office, regional statistical offices, subordinated enterprises and organisations;
Activity of the ministries, departments and other institutions regardless of their subordination, concerning the statistical and financial reporting system and assurance of data authenticity;
Drafts of the most important legislative and normative acts developed by NBS headquarters.
The Collegium’s activity is based on constructive examination and joint problem solving, based on principles of democracy and publicity, on the personal responsibility of the Colegium members regarding the elaboration, approval and realization of decisions. The efficiency of Collegium’s activity is assured by organizational, creative and concrete work of each Collegium member, divisions and sections of the central apparatus, regional statistical divisions and sections, other organizations subordinated to the Bureau.



Data collection
Most recent population census
5-12 October 2004
Access to administrative data
NBS has access to some administrative data sources (State Register of legal units, Tax Register, database on physical and juridical person’s income statement, State Register of Transportation, Population Register).
Data confidentiality
Confidentiality of statistical data is protected by law. In accordance with article 22 of the Act of Republic of Moldova on official statistics „Collected, processed and stored information for producing of statistics is confidential in cases when it allows the identification of physical and juridical persons directly or indirectly and divulges individual data”. „Statistical information will not be disseminated to users if it contains some confidential data, according to article 25. In this case, centralized data must contain information on at least 3 units, but the weight of one must be at most 85 % from the total centralized data”.


Data dissemination
Release calendar (existence, when and how published)
Yearly, the Release Calendar of statistical publications and services is developed, being disseminated to potential users and placed onto the NBS’ web page. Quarterly, on the NBS’ web page the Schedule of express-information is placed.
Starting from May, 2006 also the Advance Release Calendar – (ARC) is placed in correspondence with SDDS.
Main publications
Yearly:
- Statistical Yearbook of Republic of Moldova
- Moldova in figures, statistical pocket-book
- External Trade of the Republic of Moldova. Statistical Yearbook
- Agriculture of the Republic of Moldova
- Prices in Republic of Moldova
- Living Standard of Population
- Labour force market in the Republic of Moldova
- Labour Force in the Republic of Moldova. Employment and unemployment
- Results of annual structural survey in enterprises
Yet, with the periodicity of 2-5 years different branch publications are edited.

Quarterly:
- Socio-economic situation of the Republic of Moldova
- Quarterly Statistical Bulletin
- Income, expenditures and socio-economic differentiation of population

Monthly:
- Price Statistical Bulletin
Languages of main publications
Moldovan, Russian, English.
How are data disseminated (Paper, CD Rom, Website, online databases, databanks)?
Paper, electronically, website.
Availability of microdata for research purposes
In accordance with article 24 of the Act on official statistics „Access to confidential information that does not allow direct identification can be granted by the decision of the General Director of the central statistical office for projects of scientifically research, strategies and programs of nationwide importance, the assumed results of which do not refer to individually identifiable units. The access to confidential data in scientifical purposes is granted to those persons who according to their work responsibilities are involved directly in the fulfillment of scientifical research projects in as much extend as the confidential data is needed, if there is no obvious risk of breaking the individual data protection regime and intrusion into ones private life”.




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