STATISTICAL ACTIVITITES OF THE OF

Assad Monajemi Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran Directorate of Economic Statistics P.O. Box 11365.8531 , Iran

Introduction

The Central Bank of Iran has a major role in the collection and production of vital macroeconomic statistics. The Central Bank is responsible for the , banking, financial and monetary statistics, as well as the quarterly and annual national accounts and monthly price indices. Most of the data is collected from the general public by periodically administered surveys, while the rest which are mainly registered data are collected from various government departments and banks. In addition in some areas, especially in the services sector, where there is no data available, estimates are made by the Bank. The Central Bank itself is a major user of the statistics. So, being a producer and a user at the same time, the quality of the data, its coverage, reliability, timeliness and worthiness have been of major importance. This paper deals with the responsibilities of the Central Bank in the area of statistics, methods of data collection, publications and dissemination by the Bank.

Responsibilities of the Central Bank in the Area of Statistics

Since its foundation in 1960, the Bank has been responsible for the balance of payments, financial, monetary and banking statistics, the national accounts and the price indices. The Bank has a central role in providing information to the government and other policy makers. It also provides information to international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the . The Bank is in close contact with the Statistical Central of Iran and other statistical offices in Iran. The general directorate of economic statistics of the Bank which consists of the research and surveys department and the economic statistics department is in charge of the collection, presentation and dissemination of data. In addition, the Nation Accounts Department is in charge of compiling and analysing the national accounts statistics and the Economic Research Department is in charge of the balance of payments and the money and banking statistics. These two departments are under the auspices of the general directorate of .

Methods of Data collection

Most of the data are collected from the general public through periodically administered surveys. The research and surveys department is in charge of the design of questionnaires and surveys, updating frames and evaluation of the projects. The economic statistics department is in charge of data compilation, presentation and dissemination. The data is collected in 72 cities, which include the provincial capitals, by direct call on statistical outlets. The system of data collection and processing has gone through a major change over the past several years. The data are being sent on diskette rather than paper form and the computations are more heavily computer oriented. This has facilitated the dissemination of statistics to a minimal lag. Along with the revision in the base year which usually takes place every 7-8 years, all different projects are evaluated, the latest techniques are employed, and new surveys are laid out. Quality and precision of data is among the major tasks of the general directorate of economic statistics. In this regard, the Bank tries to establish a close contact with the statistical outlets and provides its publications to the public. The general directorate of economics prepares various economic reports for the Bank authorities and other policy makers. The economic research and the national accounts departments receive the necessary data from the general directorate of economic statistics and various government organisations, such as the Statistical Center of Iran, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Customs Office and banks, on a regular basis.

Publication and Dissemination

The number of publications of the Central Bank in the area of statistics runs over 40, which range from daily to annual. About 30 of these publications are produced by the general directorate of statistics. They include the household budget survey, various price indices (CPI, WPI, PPI), economic indicators, and surveys of large manufacturing establishments, construction, housing and a number of private sector services. While the Annual Review, the Bulletin, the Economic Report and Balance Sheet of the Bank and the Economic Trends are published by the general directorate of economics. Hardcopy of the reports are made available to different government agencies and regular subscribers through the public relations department of the Bank. News or press releases are also used for monthly, quarterly or annual data. In addition data are provided to individuals upon request, free of charge. There is a close co-operation between the general directorate of economic statistics and research groups in research institutions and universities. In addition to the regular publications, with the permission of the Bank authorities, special statistical needs of the researchers are met.