Published: 2010-12-01
Key Benefits:
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
PART I
Preliminary
1. Short title
2. Interpretation
PART II
Statistics Botswana
Establishment and Functions of Statistics Botswana
3. Establishment of Statistics Botswana
4. Functions of Statistics Botswana
5. Seal of Statistics Botswana
Constitution and Qualifications of Board
6. Constitution of Board
7. Tenure of office
8. Qualifications, removal and resignation of members of Board
9. Filling of vacancy
10. Remuneration
11. Strategic and annual plan
Meetings and Proceedings of Board
12. Election of Vice Chairperson
13. Meetings of the Board
14. Declaration of interest
15. Committees of Board
16. Meetings of committees
17. Direction by Minister
The Statistician General and Staff of Statistics Botswana
18. Appointment of Statistician General
19. Staff of Statistics Botswana
20. Oath of secrecy
21. Indemnity
Financial and Accountability Provisions
22. Funds of Statistics Botswana
23. Financial Year
24. Accounts and audit
25. Annual report
PART III
National Statistical System, Official Statistics and Principles of Official Statistics
26. Operation of National Statistical System
27. Appointment and functions of committees
28. Official statistics
29. Principles of official statistics
PART IV
Data and Information Collection
30. Carrying out statistical collection without authorisation prohibited
31. Matters for which statistics may be collected
32. Duty to furnish required information
33. Duty of individuals to answer questions
34. Erection of barriers on roads
35. Conducting of statistical business
36. Entry and inspection of premises
PART V
Confidentiality and Disclosure Requirements
37. Disclosure of information prohibited
38. Disclosure of statistical information to international agencies
39. Dutytonotifyastodescriptionof businesses for which returns are required
40. Authentication of forms, notices and other documents
PART VI
Access to Records
41. Access to public and other records
42. Database under Income Tax Act
43. Database of exports and imports
44. Returns of criminal records
45. Data dissemination and accessibility
46. Security of recorded information
47. Review of other data by Statistician General
48. Letters, etc. as to Statistics to be transmitted post free
PART VII
Miscellaneous
49. Offences and penalties
50. Regulations
51. Transitional arrangements
52. Repeal of Cap.17:01 and Savings
SCHEDULE I: Oath of Office and Secrecy
SCHEDULE II: Statistics Subjects
Act 38, 1967,
Act 40, 1969,
Act 15, 2009,
S.I. 113, 2010.
An Act to establish a body corporate to be known as Statistics Botswana; to require that official statistics be produced by means of a process that is guided by the National Statistical System; to provide principles for the production and dissemination of official statistics; and for matters incidental thereto.
[Date of Commencement: 1st December, 2010 ]
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Statistics Act.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
"agency" means a component of the National Statistical System that is carrying on statistical business;
"authorised officer" means-
(a) any officer of Statistics Botswana or the public service holding office of statistician; or
(b) any person authorised in writing by the Statistician General to perform a relevant function;
"Board" means the Board of Directors of Statistics Botswana constituted under section 6;
"business" means an activity carried on in the commercial, industrial or service sector, whether or not for profit, by any person or entity in the public or private sector, and includes branches of a business;
"census" means the collection of statistical data relating to-
(a) population and housing;
(b) enterprises and establishments;
(c) agricultural activities; or
(d) any other subject as Statistics Botswana may determine.
"Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Board appointed under section 6;
"contractor" means a person appointed under contract to carry out, on behalf of the Statistician General, duties relating to the collection, compilation, analysis, abstraction, publication, archiving and dissemination of statistical information;
"document" means a-
(a) form, questionnaire, schedule, notice or report whether in print, electronic, photographic or hand written form;
(b) documentary recording or transcribed computer printout or record capable of being produced as a printout by a mechanical or electronic device; or
(c) medium or device by means of which information is recorded or stored;
"metadata" means information about data;
"member" means a member of the Board appointed under section 6 (2) and includes the Chairperson;
"National Statistical System" means a system consisting of Statistics Botswana and all producers and users of statistics in the nation, that shall facilitate cooperation and consultation for the purpose of the development of statistics and the production of official statistics under the oversight of Statistics Botswana as provided in section 26;
"official statistics" means statistics produced under section 26;
"respondent" means any individual or household or any government ministry, or institution, business or other organisations who or which supplies or is required to supply statistical information;
"return" means a document completed by-
(a) a respondent; or
(b) an authorised officer of Statistics Botswana or of another government ministry or institution which produces statistics, for the purpose of producing official statistics;
"senior officer" means an officer who holds-
(a) the position of head of division or unit of any division or unit of Statistics Botswana, or a position equivalent thereto; or
(b) an officer defined as a senior officer by the Statistician General and the Board; Statistics
"statistical business" means the planning, collection, compilation, processing, analysis, publication, dissemination and archiving of statistics;
"statistical collection" means the process, for purposes of official statistics, of-
(a) conducting a census or a sample survey; or
(b) collating administrative records or data for statistical business;
"Statistician General" means the Chief Executive Officer of Statistics Botswana appointed under section 18;
"statistics" means any aggregated numerical information, which is compiled and analysed according to sound and statistical methodology in accordance with accepted scientific principles, and is in connection with, or incidental to, any census or survey of all or any of the matters specified in Schedule II, and includes information derived from records of administration kept by line ministries, local authorities, and other agencies;
"Statistics Botswana" means the body corporate established under section 3(1) as the pre-eminent national agency for the development and management of official statistics;
"survey" includes a survey of persons whereby information is collected from all persons in a field of inquiry or from a sample thereof, wholly or primarily for statistical purposes;
"System" means the National Statistical System.
