Decree Law No. (12) of year 1980 concerning establishment of The Central Statistical Organization
We, Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani, The Amir of State of Qatar
Having Seen: The provisional amended constitution and in particular articles (22), (27) and (34) thereof, and decree law No. (9) of year 1967 concerning enactment of the law of civil public jobs and the laws amending it, and law No. (5) of year 1970 concerning the limitation of the powers of ministers and prescription of the functions of ministries and other government departments, and the laws amending it, and law No. (10) of year 1970 concerning appointment of the power authorized recruitment and dismissal in public jobs, and the bill submitted by council of ministers, have enacted the following law:
Part 1: Interpretation
Article (1)
In this act the following words and expressions shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them unless the context otherwise provides:
The Organization: The Central Statistical Organization
President of the Organization: President of the Central Statistical Organization.
Statistical Data: All Statistics pertaining to the social, economic, cultural, health and demographic aspects and pertaining to the society’s conditions and activities including data on issued licences, budgets, final accounts reports, documents, and final records pertaining to those conditions and activities.
Government Institutions: Ministries, departments, public organizations and corporations and companies partly owned by the Government.
Private Establishments: Privately owned establishments
Regulations: Internal Regulations
Part II: Establishment of the Organization and its functions
Article (2)
An Organization called "Central Statistical Organization" shall be established with an independent status and shall be attached to the Presidency of Council of Ministers. The Organization shall have a separate budget, the principles and procedures of which shall be determined by the regulations of the Organization and shall be approved by the Council of Ministers.
This Organization shall be the official source and the sole reference for all statistical data in the State.
Article (3)
The Organization shall consist of a President and a sufficient number of technical personnel, in addition to a sufficient number of non-technical staff.
The President of the Organization shall be appointed by the President of the Council of Ministers.
Article (4)
The overall objective of the Organization will be to establish a comprehensive statistical system and set-up an operational plan which would enable it to meet the statistical requirements of the State.
In order to achieve these objectives the Organization shall perform the following duties:
1. Carry out statistical surveys by means of census or samples and compilation of industrial, agricultural economic, social, financial, monetary, cultural and other statistics pertaining to Government institutions, private establishments and individuals needed for planning and research purposes.
2. Collect, tabulate and analyze the results of the statistical data.
3. Produce periodical publications and reports and graphs whenever there is need for it.
4. Supervise, technically, the statistical operations conducted by Government departments and scrutinize their results whenever necessary.
Article (5)
The statistical operations carried out by the Ministry of Defence shall be exempted from the rule of the preceding article unless a written permit issued by that Ministry is obtained.
Article (6)
Any census shall be proposed by the President of the Central Statistical Organization and approved by the President of the Council of Ministers. The President of the Organization shall specify the date and the means for conducting the census and publishing its results and name the Departments and Organization which will assist the Organization in that operation.
Article (7)
The Organization shall be composed of the following Departments and Divisions:
1. Design, Analysis and Statistical Co-ordination Department.
2. Statistical Surveys and Statistical Research Department.
3. Finance and Administrative Affairs Division.
Part III: Statistical Duties and the Confidentiality of Information
Article (8)
The Government departments shall co-operate with the Organization by providing it with the required information, and when compiling those statistics its technical instructions shall be taken into consideration.
All private establishments and individuals shall co-operate with the Organization or its representatives by providing it with the correct information according to the form and on the date specified by the Organization.
Article (13)
Any person shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or fine which shall not exceed two thousand Riyals or by both penalties if he:
1. Obstructs intentionally, the statistical work or the census, or gives intentionally false information or refuses to give the required information. The failure to give the required information at the specified data for unacceptable reason shall be considered as a refusal.
2. Publishes or knowingly causes to be published any publications of incorrect statistics.
3. Carries out or takes part in a census in a manner which contravenes the provisions of this Act.
4. Obtains or attempts to obtain confidential information for statistical purposes without being legally authorized to do so.
Article (14)
Owners of private establishments or their representatives shall allow the statistical interviewers to enter their premises during the working hours and inspect their records in order to check the correctness of the supplied data. Such inspection shall only be authorized by a resolution of President of the Council of Ministers.
The interviewers shall have police powers and are authorized to prosecute any offences committed contrary to the provisions of this act, its regulations and decisions.
Part (IV): General Provisions
Article (15)
The President of the Organization undertakes the responsibility to supervise, technically and administratively the performance of his staff and he shall take the necessary decisions to effect his supervision adequately.
Article (16)
The President of the Organization shall propose the Regulations required for organizing and administering his Organization and the means for carrying out its functions in a manner that enables the Organization to achieve its objectives. Those Regulations shall have to be approved by the Council of Ministers.
Article (17)
All provisions contrary to the rules of this law shall be repealed.
Article (18)
All competent authorities, each within its own competence, shall execute this law which shall come into force after (30) days from the date of its publication in the official gazette.
Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani,
The Amir of State of Qatar
Issued at Doha Palace on 15 Ramadan 1400 A.H.
Corresponding to 27 July 1980