Executive Summary

The Government is seeking to repeal and replace the Statistics Act to establish a modern and coordinated national statistics system that produces high-quality statistics that respond to new and evolving national data needs on a timely basis, reflects modern best practices, and accords with international standards.

This Consultation Paper is being issued to stakeholders to obtain feedback. It is anticipated that the consultation will be of particular interest to stakeholders involved in the production and use of official statistics. All comments and observations are welcome.

Following analysis of the responses to this Consultation Paper, it is envisaged that a finalised Cabinet Submission will be prepared by the Minister of Finance and the Public Service seeking Cabinet approval for the preparation of the necessary legislation.

What feedback is requested?

Feedback is requested on any aspect of the Consultation Paper, with a focus on being as specific as possible and quoting the relevant parts of this Consultation Paper.

Specifically, comments and counterproposals are invited on key areas detailed in the questions in Part 6, which cover:

• The proposed scope and objectives of a new Statistics Act
• The structure and coordination of the NSS
• User engagement
• Confidentiality
• Data sources and access
• Data quality and standards
• Offences and penalties
• The role of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and the Chief Statistician