Statute of Belstat

unofficial translation

DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

August 26, 2008, No.445

(as amended by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 114 of 18 April 2023
(National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus, 20.04.2023, 1/20821)

On certain issues of state statistics bodies

In order to enhance efficiency of state statistics bodies, their independence in carrying out state statistical activity, I hereby decree:

1. To transform:

the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis into the National Statistical Committee which shall be the republican government authority in the field of state statistics subordinate directly to the President of the Republic of Belarus;

the regional and Minsk city statistics divisions into statistical departments of the regions and the city of Minsk.

2. To approve the Statute of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (attached hereto).

3. Omitted;

4. To make amendments to the decrees of the President of the Republic of Belarus in accordance with the Annex.

5. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus:

5.1. to ensure:

allocation of budgetary funds to the National Statistical Committee in connection with the transformation of the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis into the National Statistical Committee;

financing of the National Statistical Committee for 2008 and subsequent years, taking into account its staffing level and the functions assigned by the present Decree;

5.2. within a four-month period to take measures for bringing acts of legislation in line with the present Decree and for its implementation.

6. Before acts of legislation are brought in line with the present Decree, they shall be applied insofar as they do not conflict with the present Decree.

7. The present Decree shall enter into force one month after its official publication, except paragraph 5 and the present paragraph which shall enter into force from the day of the official publication of the Decree.


President of the Republic of Belarus A.Lukashenko





DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

18 April 2023 No. 114

On issues of state statistics

In order to improve the state statistical activity, I hereby decree:

1. To introduce the following amendments into Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 445 of 26 August 2008 "On Certain Issues of State Statistics Bodies":

1.1. paragraph 2 to read as follows:

"2. To approve the Statute of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (attached hereto).";

1.2. paragraph 3 to be omitted;

1.3. in the Statute of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus approved by the Decree:

part two of paragraph 4 to be supplemented with the following sentence: "Other structural units may be established in the central office of Belstat in accordance with the legislation in order to ensure its activity and technical maintenance.";

the words "scientifically grounded" to be omitted from subparagraph 7.1 of paragraph 7;

paragraph 8 to read as follows:

"8. Belstat shall have the right to:

8.1. receive, on a free of charge basis, in compliance with the requirements established by legislative acts, from government bodies, other organisations administrative data, other information, including those dissemination and/or provision of which is restricted, except for information constituting state secrets, necessary for organising and carrying out of state statistical observations, compilation of official statistical information;

8.2. use, on a free of charge basis, in compliance with the requirements established by legislative acts, information resources/systems, databases/databanks of government bodies and other organisations, including those containing information dissemination and/or provision of which is restricted, receive information from them, except for information constituting state secrets, as well as have access to them, including remote access, through the national automated information system, if its use is obligatory, or on the basis of agreement on information interaction and/or on request, for organising and carrying out of state statistical observations, compilation of official statistical information;

8.3. receive, on a free of charge basis, electronic services provided by government bodies and other organisations necessary for implementation of state statistical activities, on the basis of agreements/contracts for provision of electronic services;

8.4. compile and maintain statistical register;

8.5. organise and conduct centralised state statistical surveys;

8.6. establish the procedure of submission of primary statistical data by respondents, as well as the procedure of elaboration, approval, keeping and application of statistical classifications which are technical regulatory legal acts;

8.7. receive from respondents, on a free of charge basis, unless otherwise established by the legislation, primary statistical data, including the information dissemination and/or provision of which is restricted, in the volume and in terms specified in the forms of state statistical observations;

8.8. receive from the state organisations authorised to engage in state statistics, on a free of charge basis, in the manner prescribed by Belstat, primary statistical data from decentralised state statistical serveys and official statistical information;

8.9. engage, in the manner prescribed by the legislation, legal and natural persons for organisation and conducting of state statistical surveys, as well as research and other organisations, scientists and specialists for elaboration of specific methodological issues of state statistics;

8.10. adopt regulatory legal acts on the issues of state statistics and other issues within the competence of Belstat, as well as decisions binding on respondents;

8.11. check the reliability of primary statistical data by comparing them with the data of primary accounting and other documents, visit for this purpose the territory and premises (except for residential premises) of government bodies, other organisations (except for organisations which, in accordance with international treaties of the Republic of Belarus, enjoy diplomatic immunity), their separate subdivisions, as well as individual entrepreneurs, obtain information from databases (databanks) of the audited entities;

8.12. demand and receive from the respondent necessary explanations, documents (their copies) and other materials when organising and carrying out state statistical surveys, compiling official statistical information and/or in the case of detection of distortions in the data of state statistical reporting;

8.13. give binding instructions to the respondent on elimination of revealed distortions in the data of state statistical reporting and/or make changes in official statistical information in case of revealed distortions in the data of state statistical reporting;

8.14. give explanations on the organisation and maintenance of state statistics, on the use of official statistical methodology in the Republic of Belarus, including in mass media, comment on misuse or misinterpretation of official statistical information;

8.15. effect cooperation in the field of state statistics with statistical offices of foreign states, international organisations and bodies of interstate entities;

8.16. approve statutes of local bodies of state statistics;

8.17. in the manner prescribed by the legislation, establish, reorganise, liquidate subordinate organisations, approve their charters;

8.18. disseminate, on a paid basis, unless otherwise established by the legislation, official statistical information and provide other information services through subordinate organisations;

8.19. manage the activities of local bodies of state statistics, subordinate organisations by means of regulation of their activities and implementation of the powers of the owner, with the analysis of the efficiency of their work and elaboration of proposals on its improvement;

8.20. certify the form of external presentation of electronic document on paper, to be submitted to the state statistics body or by the state statistics body;

8.21. exercise other rights stipulated by the legislation.";

in paragraph 9:

subparagraph 9.1. to read as follows:

"9.1. develop and approve official statistical methodology for organisation and carrying out of centralised state statistical surveys, compilation of official statistical information that complies with international statistical standards;";

subparagraphs 9.4 and 9.5 to be omitted;

subparagraph 9.6 to read as follows:

"9.6. provide respondents in the process of centralised state statistical surveys with access to specialised software for submission of primary statistical data in the form of electronic document or provide the possibility for respondents to submit primary statistical data in other form established by Belstat;";

subparagraph 9.7 to be supplemented with the words "in case they are to be carried out";

subparagraph 9.8 after the word "statistical" to be supplemented with the words "and individual administrative";

subparagraph 9.9. to read as follows:

"9.9. produce and submit official statistical information to the President of the Republic of Belarus, the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, other government bodies, as well as disseminate and/or provide official statistical information to other users in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation;";

subparagraph 9.13. to read as follows:

"9.13. ensure the functioning and development of information resources (systems), software and hardware complexes necessary for the implementation of state statistical activities;";

the fourth part of paragraph 10 after the word "activities" to be complemented with the words "and assigned to other republican bodies of state administration";

in paragraph 14:

to supplement the paragraph with subparagraph 14.21 of the following content:

"14.21. within his/her competence shall issue orders, sign resolutions of Belstat and give instructions binding on the employees of the Belstat system;";

subparagraph 14.3 before the word "number" to be complemented with the words "structure and".

2. To establish that:

2.1. state organisations authorised to engage in state statistics:

collect primary statistical data on state statistical reporting forms through the Integrated Information System of State Statistics of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter, IISSS) or through specialised software available to them for submission of primary statistical data by respondents in the form of electronic document;

have the right to use on a free of charge basis functionalities of the IISSS necessary for the implementation of state statistical activities, in the order and volume determined by the National Statistical Committee, in case of collection of primary statistical data by means of the IISSS;

2.2. state organisations subordinated to the National Statistical Committee, with regard to information resources (systems), software and hardware complexes necessary for the implementation of state statistical activities (hereinafter, Information resources – ISs), in the volume determined by the National Statistical Committee, shall*:

develop, maintain, adjust and upgrade the ISs and software required for the ISs functioning;

maintain, repair and upgrade of the IS network and computing infrastructure;

provide technical support of information interaction between the ISs and state information resources (systems);

advise IS users;

carry out other functions necessary to ensure the functioning, operation and development of the ISs, in compliance with the requirements established by the legislation;

2.3. works (services) in accordance with subparagraph 2.2 of the present paragraph shall be financed from funds provided in the republican budget for the maintenance of the National Statistical Committee, and from other sources not prohibited by the legislation;

2.4. performance of works (rendering of services) by the state organisations subordinated to the National Statistical Committee, in accordance with subparagraph 2.2 of the present paragraph, financed fully or partially from budgetary funds, is carried out with the norm of profitability not more than five percent to the cost price for determining the amount of profit to be included in the selling prices (tariffs).

3. To provide the local bodies of state statistics and state organisations authorized to engage in state statistics with the right to certify the form of external submission of state statistical reports in the form of electronic document on paper submitted to these bodies.

4. The present Decree shall enter into force after its official publication.


President of the Republic of Belarus A.Lukashenko




APPROVED
Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus 26.08.2008 No.445
(as amended by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus 29.01.2014 No.53)

STATUTE
OF THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL COMMITTEE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as Belstat) is a republican government authority in the field of state statistics which pursues the state policy in the field of state statistics and exercises regulation and administration as well as coordination of activities of other government agencies and other organisations in this field.

Belstat is subordinated directly to the President of the Republic of Belarus.

2. In its activity, Belstat is governed by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, laws of the Republic of Belarus, acts of the President of the Republic of Belarus, including the present Statute, other regulatory legal acts, and is independent in executing state statistical activity.

3. Belstat is a legal entity, has a current (checking) account and other accounts in banks, a seal and letterheads holding the representation of the National Emblem of the Republic of Belarus and its name.

4. The system of Belstat comprises the central office of Belstat, local bodies of state statistics, as well as state organisations subordinated to Belstat (hereinafter referred to as subordinated organisations).

The central office of Belstat consists of departments, divisions, units and sections. Other structural units may be established in the central office of Belstat in accordance with the legislation in order to ensure its activity and technical maintenance.

The subordinated organisations of Belstat are:

the republican unitary enterprise “Information and Computing Centre of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus”; and

the republican unitary enterprise “Information Technology Centre of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus”.

5. The activities of Belstat are financed from the republican budget and other sources not prohibited by the legislation.

6. The property of Belstat is owned by the Republic of Belarus and is allocated to it on the basis of operational management.

CHAPTER 2
MAIN TASKS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BELSTAT

7. The main tasks of Belstat shall be as follows:

7.1. elaboration of official statistical methodology in compliance with international statistical standards;

7.2. carrying out state statistical activities following the principles of state statistics;

7.3. meeting the needs of the society, state and international community for official statistical data.

8. Belstat shall have the right to:

8.1. receive, on a free of charge basis, in compliance with the requirements established by legislative acts, from government bodies, other organisations administrative data, other information, including those dissemination and/or provision of which is restricted, except for information constituting state secrets, necessary for organising and carrying out of state statistical observations, compilation of official statistical information;

8.2. use, on a free of charge basis, in compliance with the requirements established by legislative acts, information resources/systems, databases/databanks of government bodies and other organisations, including those containing information dissemination and/or provision of which is restricted, receive information from them, except for information constituting state secrets, as well as have access to them, including remote access, through the national automated information system, if its use is obligatory, or on the basis of agreement on information interaction and/or on request, for organising and carrying out of state statistical observations, compilation of official statistical information;

8.3. receive, on a free of charge basis, electronic services provided by government bodies and other organisations necessary for implementation of state statistical activities, on the basis of agreements/contracts for provision of electronic services;

8.4. compile and maintain statistical register;

8.5. organise and conduct centralised state statistical surveys;

8.6. establish the procedure of submission of primary statistical data by respondents, as well as the procedure of elaboration, approval, keeping and application of statistical classifications which are technical regulatory legal acts;

8.7. receive from respondents, on a free of charge basis, unless otherwise established by the legislation, primary statistical data, including the information dissemination and/or provision of which is restricted, in the volume and in terms specified in the forms of state statistical observations;

8.8. receive from the state organisations authorised to engage in state statistics, on a free of charge basis, in the manner prescribed by Belstat, primary statistical data from decentralised state statistical serveys and official statistical information;

8.9. engage, in the manner prescribed by the legislation, legal and natural persons for organisation and conducting of state statistical surveys, as well as research and other organisations, scientists and specialists for elaboration of specific methodological issues of state statistics;

8.10. adopt regulatory legal acts on the issues of state statistics and other issues within the competence of Belstat, as well as decisions binding on respondents;

8.11. check the reliability of primary statistical data by comparing them with the data of primary accounting and other documents, visit for this purpose the territory and premises (except for residential premises) of government bodies, other organisations (except for organisations which, in accordance with international treaties of the Republic of Belarus, enjoy diplomatic immunity), their separate subdivisions, as well as individual entrepreneurs, obtain information from databases (databanks) of the audited entities;

8.12. demand and receive from the respondent necessary explanations, documents (their copies) and other materials when organising and carrying out state statistical surveys, compiling official statistical information and/or in the case of detection of distortions in the data of state statistical reporting;

8.13. give binding instructions to the respondent on elimination of revealed distortions in the data of state statistical reporting and/or make changes in official statistical information in case of revealed distortions in the data of state statistical reporting;

8.14. give explanations on the organisation and maintenance of state statistics, on the use of official statistical methodology in the Republic of Belarus, including in mass media, comment on misuse or misinterpretation of official statistical information;

8.15. effect cooperation in the field of state statistics with statistical offices of foreign states, international organisations and bodies of interstate entities;

8.16. approve statutes of local bodies of state statistics;

8.17. in the manner prescribed by the legislation, establish, reorganise, liquidate subordinate organisations, approve their charters;

8.18. disseminate, on a paid basis, unless otherwise established by the legislation, official statistical information and provide other information services through subordinate organisations;

8.19. manage the activities of local bodies of state statistics, subordinate organisations by means of regulation of their activities and implementation of the powers of the owner, with the analysis of the efficiency of their work and elaboration of proposals on its improvement;

8.20. certify the form of external presentation of electronic document on paper, to be submitted to the state statistics body or by the state statistics body;

8.21. exercise other rights stipulated by the legislation.

9. Belstat, in accordance with the assigned duties, shall be bound to:

9.1. develop and approve official statistical methodology for organisation and carrying out of centralised state statistical surveys, compilation of official statistical information that complies with international statistical standards;

9.2. develop jointly with government organisations authorised for maintaining of state statistics and approve strategy for the development of state statistics;

9.3. develop the statistical work programme and submit it to the Council of Ministers for approval;

9.4. omitted;

9.5. omitted;

9.6. provide respondents in the process of centralised state statistical surveys with access to specialised software for submission of primary statistical data in the form of electronic document or provide the possibility for respondents to submit primary statistical data in other form established by Belstat;

9.7. provide methodological guidance on the organisation and performance of centralised state statistical surveys in case they are to be carried out;

9.8. ensure confidentiality of primary statistical and individual administrative data and their use for the purposes of state statistics;

9.9. produce and submit official statistical information to the President of the Republic of Belarus, the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, other government bodies, as well as disseminate and/or provide official statistical information to other users in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation;

9.10. ensure equal access of users to official statistical information and methodology of its compilation;

9.11. exchange official statistical information with statistical agencies of foreign countries, as well as provide official statistical information under the international treaties to which the Republic of Belarus is a party;

9.12. ensure maintenance of databases (databanks) of official statistical information;

9.13. ensure the functioning and development of information resources (systems), software and hardware complexes necessary for the implementation of state statistical activities;";

9.14. ensure emergency preparedness of Belstat as well as control and coordination of local bodies of state statistics and subordinated organisations for their emergency preparedness;

9.15. fulfill other duties in accordance with the legislation.

10. Within the scope of its competence, Belstat endorses:

draft laws, legal acts of the President of the Republic of Belarus, regulations of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus on the issues of state statistics;

official statistical methodology developed and approved by government agencies authorised for maintaining state statistics;

draft nationwide classifications of the Republic of Belarus used in state statistical activities and assigned to other republican bodies of state administration, and changes thereto.

CHAPTER 3
MANAGERIAL BODIES OF BELSTAT

11. Belstat shall be headed by the Chairperson who shall be appointed and relieved of office by the President of the Republic of Belarus.

12. The Chairperson of Belstat shall be subordinated to the President of the Republic of Belarus and shall be a member of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

13. The Chairperson of Belstat shall have four Deputies, including one First Deputy.

The Deputy Chairpersons of Belstat shall be appointed and relieved of office by the President of the Republic of Belarus upon the recommendation of the Chairperson of Belstat.

14. The Chairperson of Belstat shall:

14.1. exercise management of Belstat activities and bear personal responsibility for the fulfillment of tasks allotted to Belstat;

14.2. submit, in accordance with the established procedure, draft regulatory legal acts as well as proposals on the issues falling under the competence of Belstat to the President of the Republic of Belarus and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus;

14.21. within his/her competence issue orders, sign resolutions of Belstat and give instructions binding on the employees of the Belstat system;

14.3. approve, within the limits of the number of staff established by the President of the Republic of Belarus, the structure and staff schedule of the central office of Belstat, the structure and number of employees of local bodies of state statistics;

14.4. allocate responsibilities among Deputy Chairpersons of Belstat and determine the mandate of the Heads of structural units of the central office of Belstat;

14.5. appoint and relieve of office Heads of the local bodies of state statistics and subordinated organisations;

14.6. upon the recommendation of the Heads of the local bodies of state statistics and subordinated organisations, appoint and relieve of office Deputy Heads of the local bodies of state statistics and subordinated organisations;

14.7. submit in the prescribed manner recommendations on the conferral of state awards to employees of the central office of Belstat, local bodies of state statistics and subordinated organisations, apply other incentive measures thereto;

14.8. exercise other powers in accordance with the legislation.

15. A Board shall be set up in Belstat, that shall consist of the Chairperson of Belstat (Chair of the Board), Deputy Chairpersons, Heads of the structural units of the central office of Belstat, as well as the Heads of the local bodies of state statistics and subordinated organisations.

The number of members and the personal membership of the Board shall be approved by the President of the Republic of Belarus upon the recommendation of the Chairperson of Belstat.

The Board shall meet as necessary, but at least once each month. In the absence of the Chairperson of Belstat the meetings of the Board shall be conducted by the First Deputy Chairperson.

A meeting of the Board shall be deemed duly constituted if at least two thirds of the Board members are present.

Decisions of the Board shall be taken by the simple majority of votes of its members present at the meeting and shall be recorded as minutes. In the event of a tie vote the Chair of the Board shall have the casting vote.




* Unless otherwise defined by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 7 April 2022 No. 136 "On the body of state administration in the field of digital development and issues of informatisation".