UNSD Document

Unofficial Translation Draft

Statistical Law

KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
NATION RELIGION KING

STATISTICS LAW

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISION

Article 1 This Law governs all matters relating to the collection, processing, compilation, analysis, publication and dissemination of statistical data and pertains to the whole Kingdom of Cambodia.

Article 2 The technical terms used in this Law shall have the following meaning:

a. " Statistics" are data obtained by collecting, processing, compiling, analyzing, publishing and disseminating results, gathered from respondents through statistical collections or from administrative data sources.

b. " National Statistics System" is a system of integrated statistics at the national and local level and related infrastructure, including all official statistical data and national statistical programs; statistical organizations and statistical units within ministries and institutions of the Royal Government; as well as their statistical staff and other infrastructure.

c. " Basic statistics" are official economic, environment and socio-demographic statistics that are cross-sector in nature, national and sub-national, that are required by the Royal
Government for policy and program formulation and evaluation, as well as for use by the
wider Cambodian and international community.

d. " Sector statistics" are statistics collected by ministries or institutions of the Royal
Government for their internal needs and reporting purposes.

e. A "census" is a statistical collection of individuals, households, establishments or other organizational units where all units in the population are enumerated .

f. A " survey " is a scientific statistical collection of individuals, households, establishments or other organizational units where only a sample of the units in the population are enumerated .

g. A " statistical officer " is an employee of the Royal Government who has the authority to engage in official statistical activities.

h. A " respondent " is an individual, household, company, establishment, government or non-government institution, or other organization, that has been selected in a census or survey.

i. Data are information in the form of numbers.

j. " Designated official statistics" are statistics produced by Government organizations that are determined by the Royal Government to meet the statistical information requirements of policy-makers in formulating and evaluating economic and social policies and programs in addressing the socio-economic development and welfare of the nation, as well as the requirements of decision-makers and researchers in the wider Cambodian and international community.

Chapter II

PRINCIPLES AND DIRECTIONS

Article 3 Statistical development is based on the principles of confidentiality, efficiency and effectiveness, impartiality and independence, objectivity and professionalism, accuracy, reliability, relevance, timeliness, and respondent burden minimization.

Article 4 Statistical activities shall be guided by the aims of :

a. Supporting the statistical data requirements of Royal Government policy-makers in
formulating and evaluating economic and social policies and programs in addressing the
socio-economic development and welfare of the nation, as well as the requirements
decision-makers and researchers in the wider Cambodian and international community.

b. Facilitating the development of an effective and efficient National Statistical System.

c. Enhancing public awareness of the importance of the role and function of statistics in national development programs.

d. Encouraging the development of methodology and technology in statistical activities.

Chapter III

STATISTICAL DATA COLLECTION

Article 5 Statistical data are collected by:

a. Conducting censuses.

b Conducting surveys.

c. Accessing government and non-government administrative data sources.

Article 6 Censuses as referred to in Article 5 (a) shall be conducted at least once every ten years . There are three categories of census.

a. Population census.

b. Agricultural census.

c. Establishment census.

These censuses shall be conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning in cooperation with relevant institutions.

Article 7 The Royal Government shall issue a Sub-Decree specifying the dates for conducting each of the three censuses within the ten-year period and may change the dates where it deems it necessary to do so.

Article 8 Intercensal surveys shall be conducted between censuses to facilitate annual updates of the benchmark census data in order to compile accurate and reliable economic and social statistics that meet the needs of government policy makers and other users.

Article 9 Sample Surveys as referred to in Article 5(b) may be conducted periodically in order to produce accurate and reliable basic national statistics, as well as on an ad hoc basis in order to address any urgent statistical data needs of the Royal Government. For the purposes of conducting economic surveys, the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning will establish a register of businesses or population frame, to be updated and maintained on an annual basis.

Article 10 Statistics produced from administrative data sources as referred to in Article 5 (c) shall be compiled using data recorded on administrative documents, forms and other records sourced from both Royal Government and non-government organizations. For the purposes of compiling statistics from administrative data sources, the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning will establish a directory of administrative and statistical data sources, to be updated and maintained on an annual basis.

Article 11 In the context of this Law, the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning is responsible for :

a. Collecting, processing, compiling, analyzing, publishing and disseminating basic data by conducting censuses and surveys, and utilizing administrative data sources.

b. Compiling national accounts and price indexes, as well as economic, environment and
socio-demographic indicators.

Article 12 Ministries and institutions of the Royal Government shall collect sector data either independently or in cooperation with the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning by :

a. Conducting surveys.

b. Collection of statistical data on administrative records.