Today, the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, in cooperation with experts from the European Central Bank and the European System of Central Banks, has hosted a workshop on Data Governance on Central Banks’ Statistical Purposes and Statistical Data Confidentiality Issues.

"One of the strategic priorities of the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia is to continue improving the quality of statistics by applying international statistical standards that underline the need for providing detailed, comprehensive and frequent statistical data in the post-crisis period, taking into account the reporting burden of the economic entities“  - said Anita Angelovska Bezoska, Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, in her welcome and introductory remarks. The aim of the first session is to explain the regulatory framework and practical aspects of providing streamlined access to statistical data and the protection of statistical data confidentiality in the euro area as a whole, as well as the national practices and legislation of particular EU member states. Special attention has been paid to the cooperative relationships between the ECB DG-Statistics and Eurostat, and between the ECB and European Union national central banks, with respect to the manner and terms of sharing data collected for statistical purposes.  Experts from the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, the State Statistical Office and the Ministry of Finance had the opportunity to follow presentations that, in addition to the European regulations and the ECB experiences, included experiences of the central banks of Luxembourg and Austria.

The aim of the second session is to present the need for proper data governance in a modern organizational culture and treatment of data as exceptionally valuable resources, particular focusing on the ECB strategy, practices and organizational set-up in view of data governance. This session addresses the present and future challenges encountered by the ECB concerning different processes related to quality assurance, data architecture, modeling, storing, sharing and active use of data, focusing on the specific needs of the central bank’s statistical function.

Both sessions were rich in fruitful discussions, tackling issues that are crucial for the further activities of the NBRM related to its determination to regularly follow the latest European and international standards and practices in the field of statistics, thus making giant steps on the road that heads towards the European System of Central Banks.

In the recent period, the NBRM has hosted many seminars, workshops and lectures on current topics in the field of statistics. This workshop, which is yet another confirmation of the successful communication and cooperation of the NBRM with the ECB and the ESCB, is just one of the planned statistical events in the upcoming period.