FBS restructuring bill may be approved soon

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
By Israr Khan
The NEWS

ISLAMABAD: Parliament will soon approve a draft bill for restructuring and reorganisation of data collection organisations, which is aimed at making them more responsive to national requirements with increased autonomy and credibility, sources say.

The bill will establish Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) by merging Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) with Agriculture Census Organisation (ACO) and Population Census Organisation (PCO). The new body will have seven members — three from the government while four from the private sector.

Official sources told The News the restructuring bill had already got federal approval and would now go to parliament for final approval.

The restructuring of the statistics body had been due for the last several years, but pressure from the International Monetary Fund forced the government to step up efforts in that regard, a source said. It is expected that the World Bank will assist the government in the restructuring process.

The Statistics Division arranged a briefing for senior officials of the attached departments including FBS and PCO about the restructuring and reorganisation of the federal statistics system.

Speaking to the officers, Muhammad Uris Jumani, Deputy Director General of Statistics Division, said parliament was in the process of approving the draft bill.

“The government has approved restructuring of the federal statistics system to make it more responsive to national requirements with increased autonomy and credibility through merger of Federal Bureau of Statistics, Population Census Organisation, Agriculture Census Organisation and technical wing of the Statistics Division into a new autonomous body called the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics,” he said.

Jumani said the Statistics Division planned to hold such briefings in the provincial headquarters in order to introduce the new body.

He said main objectives of restructuring were to make the data collection system more relevant to national needs and to ensure capacity building, career planning of professional staff, upgrading of skills, fair use of resources through pooling of human and material resources and better coordination between different data collecting agencies.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics will have an apex body namely the Governing Council with three government and four non-government representatives.

A National Users Council comprising data users will be formed to give advice on priorities for collection of statistical data in order to achieve efficiency and prompt results.

Provision has been made for release and dissemination of data by the statistics authority while protecting secrecy of individuals, firms and institutions.

The draft law also provides for establishment of a statistics fund to ensure financial autonomy to the bureau. Protection has been provided in the draft law to existing employees of the bureau in terms of service and they will be governed by the Civil Servants Act 1973 and its rules and will continue service on same terms and conditions.

Every person or employee will have the right to opt for work in the bureau as a civil servant or under new rules and regulations to be prepared by the management of PBS.