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> Extracts from Statistics Act
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Extracts from Statistics Act |
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The collection of data by our Research & Statistics Unit is governed by the Statistics Act (CHAPTER 317) Revised Edition 1991. The relevants sections of this Act are:
Power of Director Cap. 317 Section 5. (1) For the purpose of obtaining statistical information, it shall be lawful for the Chief Statistician or the director of a research & statistics unit to issue a requisition to any person to furnish particulars and supply information to him relating to any matter to which this Act applies, and every such person is bound to furnish particulars and supply information to the best of his knowledge and belief.
Disclosure of Information Cap. 317 Section 7. (1) No particulars or information or any part thereof relating to any individual person obtained under the provision of this Act shall, without the previous consent in writing of that person, be disclosed except -
(a) Compiled statistics on the operation of an industry may be published irrespective of the number of persons engaged in that industry unless the industry is exempted by the Ministry responsible for the Government department or Ministry in possession of such particulars from having its data published;
(b) Where the disclosure can be made without identifying the individual person and an appropriate time, in the opinion of the Ministry responsible for the Government department or Ministry in possession of such particulars, has elapsed;
(c) For the purposes of any proceedings for an offence under this Act or any report of those proceedings; or
(d) Information of a general nature including products manufactured or handled, size of establishment, number of employees and addresses, which could be from other sources.
Cap. 317 Section 7. (2) The Minister responsible for the Government department or ministry issuing any requisition under this Act shall have due regard to the circumstances of various trades and industries and, in particular to the importance of avoiding the disclosure in any return of any trade secret or of trading profits or of any other information the disclosure of which would be likely to tend to the prejudice of the person furnishing the return.
Cap. 317 Section 7. (3) If any information to be obtained under this Act is also obtainable under any other written law which restricts the disclosure of information obtained thereunder, and the Minister is of the opinion that similar restrictions should be applied to any information to be obtained under this Act, the Minister shall by order provide for the application, without modifications or with such adaptations or modifications as he thinks fit, of those restrictions to the information to be so obtained, or any part thereof, in addition to the restrictions imposed by this section.
Cap. 317 Section 7. (4) Without prejudice to subsection (3) if it appears to the Minister that the nature of the information to be obtained under this Act would make it desirable to impose restrictions on the disclosure of the information additional to the restrictions imposed by this section, the Ministry may by order prohibit the disclosure of such information, or any part thereof, except to such persons or for such purposes as may be specified in the order.
Cap. 317 Section 7. (5) The compilation of any report, summary or other communication to the public of information obtained under this Act shall be arranged as to prevent any particulars published therein from being identified as being particulars relating to any individual person except with the previous consent in writing if that person.
Cap. 317 Section 7. (6) Where - (a) any particulars or information relating to any individual person have been obtained from a competent authority under section 6 (1) (b); and
(b) The particulars or information were obtained by that competent authority under any written law which restricts the disclosure of information so obtained, then, in addition to the restrictions imposed by this section and any order made under subsection (3), no such particulars or information shall be disclosed without the written permission of that competent authority.
Cap. 317 Section 7. (7) If any person discloses any returns or any information contrary to this section, or of any order made thereunder, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.
Penalties
Cap. 317 Section 10. The Chief Statistician or the director of a research and statistics unit may compound any of the offences under section 9 by accepting from a person reasonably suspected of having committed the offence a sum not exceeding $200.
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