The Central Bureau Of Statistics

Sudan

Sudan has had a statistical system for nearly one hundred years. Soon after independence in 1956, the Department of Statistics was formalized under the Ministry of Planning and in 1958 the related statistical legislation was enacted, through the "Statistics Act, 1958”. This Act was repealed in 1970, paving the way for the subsequent "Statistics Act, 1970”, and the Department was renamed “Central Bureau of Statistics”(CBS) to be headed by a Director General.

CBS currently operates under the 2003 Statistics Act which empowers the Director General to collect, analyse and disseminate statistical information and provide technical advice to the government departments on statistical matters.  

The 2003 Act contains some important new features, including the setting up of National Statistical Council, and makes the CBS responsible for the overall coordination and supervision of the production of statistics in the country.

1. Organizational Structure 4.1. The CBS reports to the Ministry of

the Council of Ministers and is headed by a Director General who deals with all matters of statistical policy, general supervision and coordination. Under the Director General are four Directors, each responsible for a General Directorate as follows:

1.Organizational Structure

    Director General’s Office

  I. Computer Centre

II. Statistical Training Centre

III. Two Support Sections Training and Public Relations Executive office

1.Organizational Structure Cont

    Fieldwork and state statistical offices         I. Coordination of all statistical operational activities II. Cartography and mapping   Financial and economic surveys and statistics            I. National accounts II. Foreign trade statistics III. Internal trade statistics IV. Statistics Yearbook

1.Organizational Structure Cont

Social and demographic surveys and statistics I. Censuses             II. Surveys III. Vital registration          IV. Labour statistics General administration and finance              Accounting; Personnel; Transport; Stores & purchasing; and Printing.

2. The CBS Administrations and its Main Activities

2.1 The general directorate of Fieldwork and state

Statistical Offices :

It consists of two main divisions Coordination of statistical operations; and Cartography and mapping. The directorate is responsible for coordinating the data collection of all surveys undertaken by the CBS in the 15 northern states of Sudan. But the state statistical offices in the northern part of the country need to be strengthened in terms of the necessary staffing and equipment requirements.

2.2. Financial And Economic Surveys And Statistics

The Financial and economic surveys and statistics general directorate consists of four divisions: National accounts; Foreign trade statistics; Internal trade statistics; and the Statistical yearbook division.

The National Accounts The national accounts directorate is charged with

the responsibility of producing the GDP estimates. Since 1983, GDP estimates have covered the northern states only. They use the System of National Accounts of 1968, taking 1981/82 as their base year. The last Household Budget Survey was conducted in 1978 but, after the peace agreement, there are plans to undertake another survey in order to include the recent data for the whole country including the south.

The National Accounts Cont. CBS uses current data from selected business establishments

to estimate the GDP on an annual basis. In addition, due to budget preparation requirements the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, has developed a model to compile GDP projections for budget and planning purposes on a quarterly basis. There are variations between the projections prepared by the Ministry of Finance, and the estimates produces by CBS. But for improving the GDP estimates it is essential for the CBS to update the frame of the enterprises engaged in the different sectors of the national economy, and conducts a series of sample surveys for the enterprises in each sector of the national economy, this also will enable CBS. to implements the 1993 SNA and produce more accurate estimates.

The National Accounts Cont.

The CBS does not produce any ICT indicators on the enterprises, government establishments, or educational institutions level.

The Foreign Trade Statistics The foreign trade directorate collects trade data from

the Customs department but the compilation has a lag of two years. Although CBS is formally responsible for compiling the balance of payments (BOP) figures, it has not been able to do so because of the customs data quality. Instead, the Bank compile and produces foreign trade statistics for the BOP purposes, in a more timely way. There are also some variations in the foreign trade estimates of CBS are compared to those of the Central Bank on an annual basis and these are attributed to differences in the methodology and, the data editing operation.

The Consumer Price Index The Internal trade directorate collects information on

prices on a weekly basis from the 15 northern states for the estimation of the consumer price index (CPI). The prices data are taken only from the capitals of the states. It also collects wholesale prices, but from Khartoum city only. The CPI, despite its limitations, is widely used by major users including the government and the other users, and is disseminated on a monthly basis. It is anticipated that the planned household budget survey will be used to derive new weights, which will be used to calculate the new CPI. The new CPI will include all major towns plus some rural areas in the northern part of the country.

The Statistics Yearbook

The Statistics yearbook directorate is responsible for compiling an abstract report “Statistical Yearbook”. It includes not only statistics compiled by CBS but also those produced by other agencies such as the line ministries like education, health, industry, etc. The directorate also produces a summary book “Sudan in Figures", the latest issue covering the period 2004–2006.

2.3. Social And Demographic Surveys And Statistics

It consists of four divisions: Population and housing censuses; Surveys; Vital statistics; and Labour statistics.

The last population and housing census was carried out in 1993, covering most of the northern part of the country but only the three major urban areas in the southern part. The last population census to cover the whole country was in 1983. A census was scheduled to take place in 2003.

The 2007 Population and Housing census

CBS. and the Statistical Centre for Southern Sudan already started the preparatory work together for the Population and Housing census. The mapping and household listing, it is still continue in the northern and southern part of the country. Sudan is the tenth largest country in the world and the largest country in Africa, the Central Bureau of Statistics is already using Geographical Information System (GIS), but for developing an accurate, and up to date maps for the whole of Sudan CBS needs for an up to date satellite imagery with high resolution, which enable to develop maps for the census on enumeration areas level.

The Household Surveys The Directorate has also been involved during the

last period in about four demographic and health or social sector household surveys, usually undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. These are a Demographic and Health Survey in 1989/90, the Safe Motherhood Survey in 1998/99, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2000. Industrial survey in 2002, and recently CBS conducted the Sudan Household Health Survey (SHHS) which covered the MICS3, and PAP Fam Survey, funded by the Arab League, it is focussing mainly on family health, demographic characteristics and household ICT indicators.

The Household Surveys

The first three surveys covered only the northern part of the country, and the three provincial capitals and their immediate surroundings in the southern part of the country. But Sudan Household Health Survey covered the whole country for the first time after the peace agreement.

2.4. General Administration And Finance

The General administration and finance general directorate supports the core functions of CBS. It consists of five sections: Accounting; Personnel; Transport; Stores and purchasing; and Printing. The government largely finances the core activities of CBS, as there is very little funding that is received from donor organizations.

2.5. Director General’s Office

The Director General’s office has, in addition to its main functions, two special divisions. These are the Computer centre and the Statistical training centre divisions which are under the direct responsibility of the office.

  The Computer centre is responsible for data capturing and

tabulation of all information collected by CBS. It consists of 40 personal computers and one server capable of serving 120 computers. The centre has 17 data entry operators and 6 programmers. The programmers have skills such as developing data entry screens, editing, tabulating, the data using Cs-pro software, in addition the SPSS software for the statistical analysis and tabulating the data.

2.5. Director General’s Office

The Statistical training centre conducts occasional courses in applied statistics and computer applications. It has an intake of 20 to 25 students per course and the courses last from two to six weeks. The centre also conducts focussed courses such as national accounts, consumer price index etc for CBS staff and sponsored staff from the line ministries and the private sector. It draws its teaching staff from senior CBS staff and the local universities.

The public relations and executive units provide support services and advice to the office of the director general.

3. Conclusion CBS is the major data-generating agency in the country and,

according to the Statistics Act, is mandated to provide statistical advice to government departments. However, it is supposed to be the leader in terms of coordinating the production of statistics.

There is a greater demand now than ever before for better, more timely and more detailed statistical data in Sudan. There is a great need for reliable evidence-based information that is required for informed policy-making, monitoring their implementation and evaluating the results. Statistics are needed to monitor targets such as achieving the MDGs, supporting the Poverty Reduction Strategic Planning PRSP process, and for developing projects and programs in general.