Tanzania
Statistics Act
Chapter 351
- Commenced on 2 November 2015
- [This is the version of this document at 30 November 2019.]
- [Note: This legislation has been thoroughly revised and consolidated under the supervision of the Attorney General's Office, in compliance with the Laws Revision Act No. 7 of 1994, the Revised Laws and Annual Revision Act (Chapter 356 (R.L.)), and the Interpretation of Laws and General Clauses Act No. 30 of 1972. This version is up-to-date as at 31st July 2002.]
Part I – Preliminary provisions
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Statistics Act.2. Application
This Act shall apply to Mainland Tanzania in all matters specified in the Third Schedule and shall apply to Tanzania Zanzibar in respect of population and housing census.3. Interpretation
In this Act unless the context otherwise requires—"agency or agencies" include research institutions, non governmental organizations, development partners or any other user or producer of statistics;"authorized officer" means a person appointed as such under section 15;"Board" means the National Bureau of Statistics Board established under section 7;"Bureau" means the National Bureau of Statistics referred to in this Act;"census" means a statistical operation in which all units of the population are enumerated;"government institutions" includes ministries, government departments, regional administration and local government authorities;"international standards" means standards or guidelines for producing statistical information prescribed in the African Charter on Statistics, 2009, the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics of the United Nations, other standards issued by recognized international organizations and includes international best practices;"Minister" means the Minister responsible for statistics;"national standards" means standards or guidelines for producing statistical information issued by the Bureau;"National Statistical System" means a system coordinated by the Bureau which involves data providers, producers or users of statistics, research and training institutions;"official statistics" means statistics produced, validated, compiled and disseminated by or under the authority of the Bureau;"population and housing census" means a census conducted by Bureau under section 21;"respondent" means any person who supplies or is required to supply statistical information;"return" means any book, document, form, card, tape, disc or storage media in which the information required is entered or recorded or is required to be entered or recorded for statistical purposes under this Act;"sampling" means a statistical procedure by which information relating to a whole field of inquiring is derived by applying statistical techniques to information obtained in respect of a proportion of the total number of persons or undertakings concerned in the field of inquiry;"staff" means any staff employed by the Bureau;"statistical information" means any organized data obtained from census, surveys or administrative data;"statistical unit" means a section, division or department established in any Government institutions responsible for the execution of statistical functions;"statistician" means a person who possess a degree in statistics;"Statistician General" means the Chief Executive of the Bureau appointed under section 9;"statistics" means data required for the production of organized statistical information, obtained from census and statistical surveys or administrative records;"survey" means method of collecting data from a sample of population with a national, regional or district level coverage; and"undertaking" means any statistical activity by way of a trade or business whether or not the trade or business is carried out for profit, and includes a Ministry or Government Department, statutory body, local government body, or any other form of organization or body of persons or any part thereof.[Acts Nos. 8 of 2018 ss. 21, 22; 9 of 2019 s. 56]Part II – The National Bureau of Statistics and the Governing Board
(a) The National Bureau of Statistics
4. Continuation of the Bureau
5. Integrity of Bureau
In order to protect and enhance the integrity and impartiality of official statistics, the Bureau shall exercise professional independence in the way it collects, processes, analyses and disseminates official statistics.[Act No. 8 of 2018 s. 21]6. Functions of Bureau
(b) Governing Board
7. Establishment and composition of Board
8. Functions of Board
Functions of the Board shall include to—9. Appointment of Statistician General
10. Termination of appointment
The President may, upon the recommendation of the Minister, terminate the appointment of the Statistician General for—11. Functions of the Statistician General
The Statistician General shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau and shall be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Bureau including management of funds, property and business of the Bureau and for the administration of officers and staff of the Bureau.[Act No. 8 of 2018 s. 21]12. Acting Statistician General
13. Other staff
Subject to laws relating to recruitment, the Statistician General shall cause to be employed such number of other staff as he may consider necessary or desirable for the efficient and effective exercise of powers and the discharge of functions of the Bureau.[Act No. 8 of 2018 s. 21]14. Oath of Secrecy
15. Authorized officers
The Statistician General may, in writing, designate on temporary terms and conditions, such number of staff of the Bureau to be authorized officer for the purpose of carrying out statistical activities under this Act as he may determine.[Act No. 8 of 2018 s. 21]16. Exemption from liability
No act done by any officer or employee of the Bureau if done or omitted to be done in good faith in the exercise or performance or purported exercise or performance of his duties or functions as an officer or employee of the Bureau shall subject such an employee or officer to any action, liability or demand of any kind.17. National Statistical System and its coordination
18. Mandate to collect official statistics
19. Delegation of powers to collect official statistics
Notwithstanding the generality of section 18(2) and subject to guidelines issued by the Bureau, powers to collect and publish official statistics afforded to heads of government institutions pursuant to any written laws shall be deemed to be powers delegated to those institutions by the Statistician General.[Acts Nos. 8 of 2018 s. 25; 9 of 2019 s. 58]20. Producers of official statistics
Part III – Collection and dissemination of information
21. The decennial Population and Housing Census
22. Collection of statistics
23. Joint collections
24. Sampling
25. Establishment of Technical Committee
26. Principles guiding collection and dissemination of statistical information
27. Right of Bureau to challenge statistical information from other sources
28. Right to challenge statistics produced by Bureau
Every person shall have the right to challenge official statistics produced by the Bureau by, subject to the procedure specified in the regulations, referring the matter to the Technical Committee for determination.[24D]29. Right to publish findings
30. Determination by Technical Committee
31. Restriction on disclosure of information
32. Exemption on disclosure
Notwithstanding section 31, the Bureau may disclose—33. Disclosure of unidentified information
34. Security of recorded information
The Bureau shall take all necessary steps to ensure the security and confidentiality of the official statistics collected by the Bureau or made available to the Bureau by other agencies are kept in accordance with the provisions of this Act.[Act No. 8 of 2018 s. 21]35. Destruction of individual forms and returns
36. Power to obtain particulars
37. Access to public and other records
Part IV – Financial provisions
38. Funds of the Bureau
The funds and resources of the Bureau shall consist of—39. Estimates
40. Accounts
41. Audit
42. Annual Performance Report
The Board shall prepare and submit to the Minister within four months after the close of each financial year, the annual report on the performance of the Bureau during that financial year, and the Minister shall cause a copy of the report to be laid in the National Assembly.Part V – Offences and penalties
43. Offences and penalties
Part VI – Miscellaneous provisions
44. Regulations
The Minister may, for the better carrying into effect of the provisions of this Act, make Regulations—45. Repeal and savings
46. Inconsistency with other legislation
Where any provision of this Act is in conflict or is otherwise inconsistent with the provisions of any other written laws relating to official statistics, the provisions of this Act shall prevail to the extent of such inconsistency.History of this document
30 November 2019 this version
Consolidation
02 November 2015
Commenced
Subsidiary legislation
Title | Numbered title |
---|---|
Statistics Regulations, 2017 | Government Notice 46 of 2017 |