Using administrative data to produce economic statistics: a study visit of the ENP-S countries to the NSI-Sofia (Bulgaria) on 23-25 October, 2018
Representatives from ENP-S countries (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia) visited the NSI of Bulgaria on 23-25 October 2018 to learn more about the use of administrative files to update the business register and as a source for economic statistics. This approach may be an efficient option to substitute for some of the regular business surveys, thus allowing substantial budget saving.
Over the course of three days visit, nine presentations were delivered by the staff of the NSIO-Bulgaria on various related issues such as the Bulgarian and European regulations for business statistics, the business register and its regular updating, the use of the accounting documents database of the Ministry of Finance and the estimates made for the national accounts.
One of the strong points that was highlighted is the common IT platform that has been set up between the different departments involved with the business register (Ministry of Finance, Social Security, INS …). Another point discussed was the online responses from companies that are virtually exhaustive. As a result, the update of the business register is carried out in real time; the estimates for non-response are low given the obligation of response that is made compulsory by the statistical law; the transition to the national accounts is almost automatic and very fast. It is to be noted that the process is still mainly based on Excel sheets and that this is not totally satisfactory; a specific software should be sought that would guarantee a higher level of security.
The only weak point noticed is the computerization of the passages that is always done on Excel sheets. No specific software has been developed either for the business register or for the transition to national accounts.
The discussions were very lively on all the presentations made and the most frequent topics for questions related to the completeness of the data for some industries, the treatment of the informal sector and the one of the non-profit institutions
To get more information, please contact Medstat4@expertisefrance.fr
