National Institute of Statistics Review Final Draft

Phnom Penh, Cambodia (18 February 2011)

H.E Nge Chhay Leang speak during reviewing final daft on the Cambodia Standard Industrial Classification

The National Institute of Statistics (NIS) in cooperation with Europe Unit (EU) to organize a seminar on February 17 in Phnom Penh to examine all sections of the final draft on the Cambodia Standard Industrial Classification (CSIC) except product section.

H.E Nge Chhay Leang, Secretary of State of Ministry of Planning, said that the seminar is aiming to share experience for each other and to examine all sections (except production section) of Cambodia Standard Industrial Classification, which use in national condition and use for comparing regional and global condition.

According to Statistics Law, NIS of Ministry of Planning needs to determine National Standard Statistics included classification, conception and definition. Statistics Coordination Committee (SCC) has a role to help NIS in term of implementing Cambodia Standard Industrial Classification, he said.

Mr. Khin Sovolak, Deputy Director General of NIS and Ministry of Planning, said that Cambodia has no industrial classification yet, but the country used International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) every time. “Cambodia needs to have that industrial classification for country”. According to ASEAN statistic standard, it needs all countries in ASEAN to expand their statistic standard from 4 digits to 5 digits.

All countries in ASEAN already expand their industrial classification with only Cambodia, Lao and Maryama excepted. “Today Cambodia already on final step of reviewing of final draft on the Cambodia Standard Industrial Classification,” Sovolak said.

CSIC is a basic tool to study economic phenomenon since the country needs them to edit what they get from a census, economic survey or industrial survey to develop country.

He motioned that CSIC has 21 sectors, but today we review only 17 sectors of Cambodia Standard Industrial Classification. They are section A: Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing; section B: Mining and Quarrying; section D: Electricity, Gas, Steam and AC; section E: Water Supply, Sewage and Waste Management; section F: Construction; section G: Wholesale and Retail Trade Sale of motor vehicles; section H: Transportation and Storage: section I: Accommodation and Food; section J: Information and Communication; section K: Financial and insurance; section L: Real Estate; section M: Professional, Scientific and Technical; section N: Administration and Support Services Public Administration; section Q: Human Health and Social Work Activities; section R: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation; and section S: other services.

Mr. Alex Korns, Expert of NIS said CSIC should be simple, because the subclasses will be used by enumerators and coding clerks with limited education, which can minimize confusion and error as well as burden and costs of translation, manual-writing, editing and training.

He highlighted that industrial classification in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand provided a good example. “The borrowing from them is also good,” Mr. Korns said.  For example, Malaysia has huge construction and forestry sectors, which has 142 sub-classes with total 920 sub-classes. Thailand has its TSIC with 866 sub-classes, Philippines has its PSIC with 799 sub-classes and Singapore has SSIC with 744 sub-classes.

By S.L (Vol. 5, Issue 8, SEAW)