The role and duties of the Government Statistician
(a) To advise the Government on matters pertaining to statistical policy and to direct and co-ordinate the statistical work of all Government Departments:
(b) To collect statistics and related information as to the economic, social, and demographic and other characteristics and/or activities of persons, businesses, other organizations and institutions:
(c) To compile, analyze and disseminate official statistics and related information:
(d) To promote and assist non-governmental statistical activities and collaborate with non-governmental organizations in the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of statistical information obtained from the of such non-governmental organizations:
(e) To take the census of population, housing and agriculture of Western Samoa as provider by this Act:
(f) To prepare and issue all forms, instructions and directions, and take such other action as may be necessary to exercise his powers under this Act:
(g) To supervise generally the administration of this Act.
Information to be collected and mode of collection
Subject to the directions of the Minister, the Statistician may at such times and for such periods as he decides, collect for the purpose of compiling, tabulating, and publishing statistics, information in relation to all or any of the matters listed in the Schedule to this Act.
The information can be collected by means of:
(a) providing a respondent schedule by the statistician to answer to the best of his knowledge all the information asked and require such respondent to return the completed schedule to the Statistician or his nominated agent by the specified date.
(b) Asking such respondent in writing or orally any questions necessary to obtain information for the purpose of compiling statistics prescribed under this act, and require any such person to give, to the best of his knowledge, written or oral answers to any questions requested.
Establishment of Statistics Advisory Board
The composition and the delegated responsibilities of the members of the Statistics Advisory Board are specified in the Statistics Act. Its functions shall be to review regularly the statistical needs of Government and those of commerce and industry, academic and research bodies, and other users of official statistics in Samoa, and in the light of such reviews to advise or direct the Statistician regarding annual and 5-yearly programmes of work and priorities in official statistics to be undertaken by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics to best serve the national interest.
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Confidentiality of Statistical returns
Any officer having custody of a schedule furnished by a person in pursuance of this Act shall not permit such schedule to be seen by any person other than an officer sworn to secrecy under this Act without the consent of the person by whom or in respect of who the schedule was furnished, nor shall such officer knowingly reveal, publish, or otherwise disclose the contents of a schedule furnished in pursuance of this Act in a manner which would enable particulars relating to any individual person to be identified as such, by any other person, without the written consent of the person to whom the particulars relate, and on his conviction for an offence against this section such officer shall be liable to fine not exceeding $400.
Except for purposes of a prosecution under this Act, no officer having custody of a schedule or copy of the schedule which has been furnished in pursuance of this Act, shall be required by subpoena or otherwise to produce the return or any part or copy of the return, as evidence in a Court of law or for any other judicial or administrative proceedings.
Offences
Every person commits an offence, who neglects or refuses to fill in and supply the particulars required in any schedule lawfully left with or sent to him, or who neglects or refuses to answer any questions or enquiry lawfully addressed to him by the Statistician or by an employee of the Government authorized in writing by the Statistician, and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100, and if the default continues after conviction to a further fine not exceeding $2 for each day during which the default has continued.
No officer shall willfully or without lawful authority alter, destroy, deface, remove or mutilate any schedule, form, or other document containing particulars collected under this Act. The penalty for breach of this section shall be a fine not exceeding $300.
The use by any officer of any authority conferred on him under this Act to gain entry to private property or access to information for purposes not permitted or required by the Statistician shall be an offence punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding $400.
The use or attempted use by any officer for the personal gain, of any information collected under this Act and not permitted to be punished or disclosed under this Act shall be an offence punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding $500 or by imprisonment for any term not exceeding 6 months.
Other offences include – every persons commits an offence and on conviction, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $200, who acts in contravention of or, without lawful justification or excuse, fails to comply in any respect with any provision of this Act or any requirement imposed under this Act or falsely represents himself as an offence exercising authority under this Act.
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