Transcript The Central Bureau Of Statistics

The Central Bureau Of
Statistics
Sudan

Sudan has had a statistical system for nearly
one hundred years. Soon after independence
in 1956, the Department of Statistics was
formalized under the Ministry of Planning and
in 1958 the related statistical legislation was
enacted, through the "Statistics Act, 1958”.
This Act was repealed in 1970, paving the
way for the subsequent "Statistics Act, 1970”,
and the Department was renamed “Central
Bureau of Statistics”(CBS) to be headed by a
Director General.
 CBS currently operates under the 2003 Statistics Act
which empowers the Director General to collect,
analyse and disseminate statistical information and
provide technical advice to the government
departments on statistical matters.
 The 2003 Act contains some important new features,
including the setting up of National Statistical Council,
and makes the CBS responsible for the overall
coordination and supervision of the production of
statistics in the country.
1. Organizational Structure
4.1. The CBS reports to the Ministry of
the Council of Ministers and is headed
by a Director General who deals with all
matters of statistical policy, general
supervision and coordination. Under the
Director General are four Directors,
each responsible for a General
Directorate as follows:
1.Organizational Structure
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
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Director General’s Office
I. Computer Centre
II. Statistical Training Centre
III. Two Support Sections
Training and Public Relations
Executive office
1.Organizational Structure

Cont
Fieldwork and state statistical offices
I. Coordination of all statistical operational
activities
II. Cartography and mapping
 Financial and economic surveys and
statistics
I. National accounts
II. Foreign trade statistics
III. Internal trade statistics
IV. Statistics Yearbook
1.Organizational Structure
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
Cont
Social and demographic surveys and
statistics
I. Censuses
II. Surveys
III. Vital registration
IV. Labour statistics
General administration and finance
Accounting; Personnel; Transport; Stores
& purchasing; and Printing.
2. The CBS Administrations and its
Main Activities
2.1 The general directorate of Fieldwork and state
Statistical Offices :
It consists of two main divisions Coordination of
statistical operations; and Cartography and mapping.
The directorate is responsible for coordinating the
data collection of all surveys undertaken by the CBS
in the 15 northern states of Sudan. But the state
statistical offices in the northern part of the country
need to be strengthened in terms of the necessary
staffing and equipment requirements.
2.2. Financial And Economic Surveys
And Statistics

The Financial and economic surveys and statistics
general directorate consists of four divisions:
National accounts; Foreign trade statistics; Internal
trade statistics; and the Statistical yearbook
division.
The National Accounts

The national accounts directorate is charged with
the responsibility of producing the GDP estimates.
Since 1983, GDP estimates have covered the
northern states only. They use the System of National
Accounts of 1968, taking 1981/82 as their base year.
The last Household Budget Survey was conducted in
1978 but, after the peace agreement, there are plans
to undertake another survey in order to include the
recent data for the whole country including the south.
The National Accounts Cont.
 CBS uses current data from selected business establishments
to estimate the GDP on an annual basis. In addition, due to
budget preparation requirements the Ministry of Finance and
National Economy, has developed a model to compile GDP
projections for budget and planning purposes on a quarterly
basis. There are variations between the projections prepared by
the Ministry of Finance, and the estimates produces by CBS.
But for improving the GDP estimates it is essential for the CBS
to update the frame of the enterprises engaged in the different
sectors of the national economy, and conducts a series of
sample surveys for the enterprises in each sector of the national
economy, this also will enable CBS. to implements the 1993
SNA and produce more accurate estimates.
The National Accounts Cont.
 The CBS does not produce any ICT
indicators on the enterprises, government
establishments, or educational institutions
level.
The Foreign Trade Statistics
 The foreign trade directorate collects trade data from
the Customs department but the compilation has a
lag of two years. Although CBS is formally
responsible for compiling the balance of payments
(BOP) figures, it has not been able to do so because
of the customs data quality. Instead, the Bank
compile and produces foreign trade statistics for the
BOP purposes, in a more timely way. There are also
some variations in the foreign trade estimates of CBS
are compared to those of the Central Bank on an
annual basis and these are attributed to differences
in the methodology and, the data editing operation.
The Consumer Price Index
 The Internal trade directorate collects information on
prices on a weekly basis from the 15 northern states
for the estimation of the consumer price index (CPI).
The prices data are taken only from the capitals of
the states. It also collects wholesale prices, but from
Khartoum city only. The CPI, despite its limitations, is
widely used by major users including the government
and the other users, and is disseminated on a
monthly basis. It is anticipated that the planned
household budget survey will be used to derive new
weights, which will be used to calculate the new CPI.
The new CPI will include all major towns plus some
rural areas in the northern part of the country.
The Statistics Yearbook
 The Statistics yearbook directorate is responsible
for compiling an abstract report “Statistical
Yearbook”. It includes not only statistics compiled
by CBS but also those produced by other agencies
such as the line ministries like education, health,
industry, etc. The directorate also produces a
summary book “Sudan in Figures", the latest issue
covering the period 2004–2006.
2.3. Social And Demographic Surveys And
Statistics
 It consists of four divisions: Population and housing
censuses; Surveys; Vital statistics; and Labour
statistics.
 The last population and housing census was carried
out in 1993, covering most of the northern part of the
country but only the three major urban areas in the
southern part. The last population census to cover
the whole country was in 1983. A census was
scheduled to take place in 2003.
The 2007 Population and Housing census
 CBS. and the Statistical Centre for Southern Sudan
already started the preparatory work together for the
Population and Housing census. The mapping and
household listing, it is still continue in the northern
and southern part of the country. Sudan is the tenth
largest country in the world and the largest country in
Africa, the Central Bureau of Statistics is already
using Geographical Information System (GIS), but for
developing an accurate, and up to date maps for the
whole of Sudan CBS needs for an up to date satellite
imagery with high resolution, which enable to develop
maps for the census on enumeration areas level.
The Household Surveys
 The Directorate has also been involved during the
last period in about four demographic and health or
social sector household surveys, usually undertaken
in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. These are
a Demographic and Health Survey in 1989/90, the
Safe Motherhood Survey in 1998/99, Multiple
Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2000. Industrial
survey in 2002, and recently CBS conducted the
Sudan Household Health Survey (SHHS) which
covered the MICS3, and PAP Fam Survey, funded by
the Arab League, it is focussing mainly on family
health, demographic characteristics and household
ICT indicators.
The Household Surveys
 The first three surveys covered only the
northern part of the country, and the three
provincial capitals and their immediate
surroundings in the southern part of the
country. But Sudan Household Health
Survey covered the whole country for the
first time after the peace agreement.
2.4. General Administration And Finance
 The General administration and finance
general directorate supports the core
functions of CBS. It consists of five sections:
Accounting; Personnel; Transport; Stores and
purchasing; and Printing. The government
largely finances the core activities of CBS, as
there is very little funding that is received from
donor organizations.
2.5. Director General’s Office
 The Director General’s office has, in addition to its main
functions, two special divisions. These are the Computer centre
and the Statistical training centre divisions which are under the
direct responsibility of the office.
 The Computer centre is responsible for data capturing and
tabulation of all information collected by CBS. It consists of 40
personal computers and one server capable of serving 120
computers. The centre has 17 data entry operators and 6
programmers. The programmers have skills such as developing
data entry screens, editing, tabulating, the data using Cs-pro
software, in addition the SPSS software for the statistical
analysis and tabulating the data.
2.5. Director General’s Office
 The Statistical training centre conducts occasional
courses in applied statistics and computer
applications. It has an intake of 20 to 25 students per
course and the courses last from two to six weeks.
The centre also conducts focussed courses such as
national accounts, consumer price index etc for CBS
staff and sponsored staff from the line ministries and
the private sector. It draws its teaching staff from
senior CBS staff and the local universities.
 The public relations and executive units provide
support services and advice to the office of the
director general.
3. Conclusion
 CBS is the major data-generating agency in the country and,
according to the Statistics Act, is mandated to provide statistical
advice to government departments. However, it is supposed to
be the leader in terms of coordinating the production of
statistics.
 There is a greater demand now than ever before for better, more
timely and more detailed statistical data in Sudan. There is a
great need for reliable evidence-based information that is
required for informed policy-making, monitoring their
implementation and evaluating the results. Statistics are needed
to monitor targets such as achieving the MDGs, supporting the
Poverty Reduction Strategic Planning PRSP process, and for
developing projects and programs in general.