The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has been preparing a new Statistics Act to address the changes in the political, social, economic and technology sectors over the last 57 years, the country’s data keeper said.

Currently, the CBS operates under Statistics Act 1958. It said it would seek the assistance of the National Planning Commission (NPC) to draft the new law.

Releasing the Kathmandu Declaration at the end of a workshop participated in by the chiefs of the 33 offices under the CBS, it said that preparations were also underway to develop a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics.

“The CBS has planned to get approval for the strategy from the higher authorities by December-end,” said Bikash Bista, director general of the CBS. The CBS has also planned to strengthen itself as an institution. It is currently headed by a joint secretary, and it has proposed to have a chief from at least the secretary level.

According to the CBS, the workshop concluded that it should be put under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) or the NPC under the leadership of a secretary-level official. It said that the national statistics body in many countries existed as an independent body or under the PMO, planning body or even Parliament.

NPC member Swornim Wagle said that an arrangement could be made by arranging two secretaries at the NPC to lead the CBS. The statistics body has also decided to mobilize an economic plan group under the economic plan and statistics service group of government employees since the group has not been mobilized for decades.

Likewise, the CBS has proposed establishing a National Statistics Training Centre to produce human resources trained in statistics. Wagle said that the CBS needed a team of dedicated employees to develop expertise and that arrangements should be made accordingly. The CBS has announced preparing a new logo to promote brand identity.

New user-friendly website

KATHMANDU: NPC Member Swornim Wagle said that they were working on a new website which would enable people to get easier access to documents produced by the NPC. The documents will be made available in a way that people will be able to understand. “Detailed data of Human Development Index 2014 will also be available on the web,” he added. “We are developing it under the concept of open data.”