Skopje, 19 October 2021 

The high-quality statistical data are the basis for making well-founded decisions and policies, especially in times of great uncertainty, as is that caused by the pandemic. All decisions related to monetary policy, financial stability, or supervisory activities are based on extensive portfolio of statistical data. Hence, the constant efforts for standardization, improvement of the quality and scope of statistical data are extremely important, said the Governor of the National Bank, Anita Angelovska Bezhoska at the event organized by the State Statistical Office, in cooperation with the Statistics Sweden, on the occasion of the beginning of the Twinning Project “Increased availability and use of the official statistics in the Republic of North Macedonia”. This event, among other things, also marked the European Statistics Day, which is held every year on 20 October.

As emphasized by Angelovska Bezhoska, the pandemic imposed challenges for the statistical system globally, creating risks in terms of the continuity and the timeliness of preparation of the existing statistical data, but it also created a need for new, additional data and information for timely assessment of the economic situation.

- During the corona-crisis, for the purpose of prompt reaction and response to the increased risks, we had to adjust and use all the available information. For this purpose, we combined the official statistical data with more detailed data from different sources, such as the administrative, the data from the surveys, the reports on the regulation. In order to carefully monitor the risks and assess the economic situation, we started to monitor the alternative high-frequency data, and we also introduced new type of reporting related to the measures for easing of the regulatory burden for banks, introduced in response to the crisis - the Governor said.

As emphasized by Angelovska Bezhoska, the National Bank, as part of the statistical system, constantly makes efforts to improve the quality, the quantity and the publication of the statistical data it prepares.

- At the end of 2019, we established a platform for statistical dissemination, NBStat, which allows the general public, researchers, journalists and policy makers to download the statistical data in that form that suits the most to their needs. Since then, we have been continuously putting efforts to establish more receptive communication with the public - through better visualization, relevant contents and simpler language. At the moment, the National Bank is conducting an e-survey for a better insight into how much the users are satisfied with our statistical data and towards what we should direct our future efforts - the Governor said.

The event was attended by representatives from the Secretariat for European Affairs, the Swedish Ambassador to the country Christine Forsgren Bengtson and the directors of the Swedish and the Macedonian statistical offices, Joachim Stimne and Apostol Simovski.

The Governor Angelovska Bezhoska also participated in the panel discussion within the event.

Within the celebration of the European Statistics Day, the National Bank will organize special thematic presentations to promote the value of statistics, this year aimed at young economists, as one of the key users of the statistical data published by the central bank.