MIC INTERVIEW WITH BLAGICA NOVKOVSKA, DIRECTOR OF THE STATE STATISTICAL OFFICE

As an experienced statistician and director of the State Statistical Office, I believe that the statistics we produce reflect Macedonia’s economic and social situation. However, the extent to which a statistical data is true greatly depends on the source from which the statistical information is garnered. Building "statistical literacy" is a long-term process in which population of diverse ages should be included. This means that the Statistical Office in the future will try to improve the situation by way of taking a number of activities. I believe that with the Euro-integration processes and the full realization of the coordination role of the State Statistical Office in the statistical system of the country, we will succeed in creating conditions for full application of the European standards in the Macedonian statistical system.

- On returning from Washington, Finance Minister Trajko Slaveski said that the IMF believed that Macedonia's economic growth was higher than that presented by the State Statistical Office. Do you agree?

- The basic function of the Statistical Office is to measure processes in society through closely defined statistical methods. As an experienced statistician and director of the State Statistical Office, I believe that the statistics we produce reflect Macedonia’s economic and social situation. However, the extent to which a statistical data is true greatly depends on the source from which the statistical information is garnered. As for the GDP figure, I have to say that its relevance is measured by applying European and international methodologies that include diverse sources of data from a number of areas at the institution itself and from other administration sources as well. In this period, the State Statistical Office produces quarterly GDP data, which are largely based on indicators that the Office has at its disposal. At the end of the year, when the annual statistics are produced and the quarterly GDP figures are revised, we can state with certainty if the previously presented data on the quarterly GDP growth are correct or no. The difference between the definitive and early GDP data does not indicate miscalculation. It is a result instead of the corrections made when including data that improve the exhaustiveness of the GDP figures.

- A change in the GDP methodology is being announced. Are the calculations really flawed?

- As I already stated, we are making the GDP calculations by fully applying the international (SNA 93) and the European (ESA 95) methodologies and for these reasons I totally disagree with the allegation that the methodology is improper and that it needs to change. We constantly improve the exhaustiveness of the data by including and excluding sources of data and the technique of the calculations that realistically reflect the situations in the Macedonian economy. The Statistical Office has conducted this process independently or with assistance from more experienced international experts in the field.

Read the integral Interview with Ms. Novkovska in the latest Macedonian Business Monthly.