Different specialists valued the bill prepared by the national government to strengthen the independence of the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec), which grants it the status of an “autonomous” entity, which, they understand, will be key to raising the professionalism of the work teams in a new era of data.
In dialogue with Télam, the former director of Economic Statistics at INDEC, Víctor Beker, considered that “everything that is done to give the organization greater autonomy and guarantee the veracity of the statistics is welcome.”and remarked that “the current Statistics Law dates from 1968, therefore, it deserves an update.”
For his part, the international expert in Statistical Governance, Hernán Muñoz, added that “it is very important that INDEC has autarky, since it is one of the few technical institutes that does not have itand its current subordinate nature to the Ministry of Economy implies a ceiling on its capacities and a risk to its independence”.
The national government sent to Congress for treatment in extraordinary sessions a bill that, if approved, will consecrate INDEC as a self-sufficient entity with functional autonomy, and with authorities elected through the Legislative Power, among other proposals.
The initiative also seeks to adapt statistical legislation to new international practices and strengthen the independence and coordination of the National Statistical System (SEN).
Based on a query from Télam, official sources assured that “the project adopts all the main basic guidelines of the best statistical systems in the world.”
What does the project say?
Indeed, Article 3 of Chapter 1 of the law establishes that “producers of official statistics must elaborate, produce and disseminate official statistics in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics of the United Nations Organization (UN) “.
In addition, a specific definition of Administrative Registries (RR.AA.) andto ensure data protection, statistical secrecy is strengthenedthe confidentiality conditions, and the data processing and storage protocols.
In this sense, Muñoz – who was an INDEC official between 2015 and 2019 – pointed out that “there is a standard framework approved by the United Nations and adapted by ECLAC for the region. At a global level, the recommendations of international organizations and those implemented by countries are all on the same line”.
And he stressed that “in the current state of Argentine legislation, what is important is self-sufficiency, one’s own career plan, access to administrative records and professional independence.”
The specialist considered that the standard “is necessary and urgent” in a global context in which people who have the capacity to process large volumes of data are highly required by private companies.
“Today, technical teams are suffering because they cannot retain their best human resources, which are in high demand by the private sector. Data is the new oil. It is happening all over the world,” said the economist.
Within this framework, an autonomous INDEC with a larger budget and autonomy to set its salary categories and career plans as provided by AFIP or the BCRA could retain its most qualified technicians, according to Muñoz’s analysis.
Currently, INDEC is a decentralized body that operates within the orbit of the Ministry of Economy of the Nation.. If the project is sanctioned, it would have autarchy and its own operating structure.
A few days ago, the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, called on the opposition to support the proposal “of INDEC’s autarchy, so that there is no government in Argentina that can work on statistical manipulation.”
As of the new legislation, the body would be led by an Executive Director proposed by the Executive Branch, which must be ratified by the Senate within 60 working days, in order to enter into office.
This position will have the rank and hierarchy of Secretary of State, and will fulfill a mandate for a period of five years, renewable only once.
The Executive Director will choose -after a public contest for background and opposition- a Technical Director, who will have the rank and hierarchy of Sub-Secretary and a term in office of five years, which may be renewed.
In dialogue with Télam, Beker -former director of Economic Statistics of the organization during the government of Raúl Alfonsín- stressed that the project “seems to include aspects of the one that a group of former INDEC officials prepared between 2008 and 2009 and which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in November 2010”.
Indeed, both initiatives agree on the proposal to create a Bicameral Commission for Monitoring the National Statistical System, with parliamentarians in charge of promoting methodological improvements, new operations and statistical products that meet the information demands of the population.
