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Legislation for Statistical Data Collection
 

Statistical activities conducted by the Singapore Department of Statistics and gazetted Research and Statistics Units (RSUs) are governed by the provisions of the Statistics Act. In addition, the Singapore Department of Statistics conducts the decennial Census of Population under the provisions of the Census Act.
 
Statistics Act

The Statistics Act is the principal piece of legislation governing the collection, compilation and publication of statistics by the Singapore Department of Statistics and gazetted RSUs in the public sector.

Under the Statistics Act, the Chief Statistician and directors of gazetted RSUs have the authority to issue requisition for information and to compound offences committed by persons to whom requisitions have been issued. In addition, the Chief Statistician is empowered to direct the director of any RSU to furnish or supply to him information obtained under the Statistics Act and to direct any competent authority to furnish or supply to him any particulars or information as provided for and specified in the Statistics Act. The list of competent authorities is given in the Third Schedule of the Statistics Act.

The Statistics Act assures the integrity of the statistical system through the safeguarding of confidentiality of data in individual returns. Information relating to individual returns cannot be disclosed without the prior written consent of the individual person, company or business.

The Statistics Act contains several provisions to promote national statistical co-ordination. These pertain to:
Co-ordination of statistical activities in government departments, ministries and statutory boards;
Provision of advice to government departments, ministries and statutory boards in the gathering, compiling, analysis and utilisation of statistics;
Development of national statistical standards and standardization of definitions, classifications, terms, procedures and concepts for use in statistical activities;
Promotion of the observance of approved national statistical standards by government departments, ministries and statutory boards.
     
Census Act

The Census Act contains provisions to direct that a census be taken in Singapore from time to time. It is mainly used in the decennial population censuses and many of its provisions follow those in the Statistics Act.
 
Other Acts
Informal RSUs carry out statistical activities under other legislations and administrative regulations. A number of laws which are enacted for administrative operations and/or for carrying out the statutory functions of government departments and statutory boards also contain specific or incidental provisions for the collection and compilation of statistics. A list of examples of such legislations is given in Appendix 2. PDF (152KB)

 



Last updated: 21 Aug 2007