Moves to improve local GDP estimation
By Da Shan (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-12-22 08:49

Local governments in China will no longer publish their own gross domestic product (GDP) figures from next year.

It is an important measure taken by the National Bureau of Statistics to improve the estimation of the country's GDP, Commissioner Li Deshui said at the annual National Statistics Conference held in Beijing on Monday.

One of the major indices measuring its economic performance, China's GDP estimation always attracts special attention from home and abroad.

However, some foreign and domestic economists have cast doubts over the figures, because the economic growth rate has a major bearing on local officials' careers and promotion prospects.

As a result, some local officials might provide inaccurate GDP figures.

The government would have to make the basic figures accurate, Li said.

"The central government will establish a joint examination system for local GDP estimation," he said.

This means local GDP figures will be examined by a joint team of experts or officials at higher levels before they are published by the National Bureau of Statistics from next year.

Meanwhile, figures released by the local government will be of no legal effect, he said.

But the local GDP figures for this year will continue to be published by the local governments themselves after being examined by the joint team.

The National Bureau of Statistics has already set up a co-ordination group for GDP estimation and a consulting group for estimation of the national economy, Li said.

China will continue to push forward its statistics system reforms to improve the nation's data quality next year, he said.

China is now experiencing great changes in both economic and social development.

The new situation required reform and improvement in terms of content, methodology, management systems and the legal framework of statistics, Li said.

The National Bureau of Statistics will strengthen its direct survey capability, beef up the capacity of management and co-ordination, and enhance the guidance and supervision of non-government statistical institutions and market research institutions, Li said.

The statistics bureau will also improve the national economic accounting system and integrate more closely with international statistical standards.

Deputy Commissioner Qiu Xiaohua said earlier this year that the National Bureau of Statistics of China will beef up international links to provide quality and up-to-date statistics for the government and public.

Technical co-operation with foreign partners is one of the two "legs" for China's statistics system development, besides its own efforts, he said.

In 1982, China started its first technical co-operation with international organizations in its population census, he said.

In the following years, the Chinese Government expanded technical co-operation and exchange activities with international organizations and statistics departments such as Japan's Statistics Bureau, the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada.

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