Long overdue national statistics law to be drafted

Friday, 12 September 2025 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the Cabinet approved drafting a new National Statistics Act to replace the Census Ordinance of 1990 and the Statistics Ordinance of 1935.

He said the existing legal framework does not adequately coordinate official statistics, integrate administrative data, or ensure independence and quality. The new draft, prepared with technical guidance from the UN Statistics Division, will modernise and consolidate the framework for producing and managing official statistics, the Minister said on Tuesday.

Reliable data and statistics have always been cited as major lacunas among research institutions and development agencies.