Kazakhstan subscribed to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) on March 24, 2003 and started posting its metadata on the Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) on the same day. Based on information provided on the IMF's SDDS website, Kazakhstan meets SDDS requirements for periodicity, coverage, and timeliness of data, although it does avail of the flexibility option with regards to timeliness and periodicity for central government operations. Further, Kazakhstan fulfills, where applicable, relevant SDDS requirements for the access dimension. Information on the IMF's SDDS website, however, shows that Kazakhstan does not meet all SDDS requirements for integrity of data, because several data categories lack provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology. Furthermore, the country does not provide information concerning identification of internal government access to data before release and identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases for the data category "population." Kazakhstan addresses the confidentiality of individually identifiable information for most data categories except for general government (public sector operations), central government debt, central government operations, share price index, and population. With regards to the quality of data, information provided on the IMF's SDDS website indicates that Kazakhstan fulfils most SDDS requirements except in the case of national accounts with regards to reconciliation with related data.

General Overview

Kazakhstan subscribed to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) on March 24, 2003. According to the IMF's 2008 Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC), Kazakhstan met the SDDS specifications for the coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of the data, as well as for the dissemination of advance release calendars. The country uses a flexibility option for the periodicity and timeliness of data on central government operations. Per the 2008 IMF ROSC, all agencies in Kazakhstan "demonstrate professionalism and provide guidelines on ethical conduct to their staff" (p. 5). However the IMF notes in the same report that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) could improve its transparency practices. For instance, both the MoF and the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBK) do not release advance notice of changes in methodology. Also, the IMF's 2008 ROSC recommended that Kazakhstan "reconcile its data on bank financing of general government with the same data disseminated in the NBR's Statistical Bulletin" (p. 18).

The IMF's 2008 ROSC report asserts that the 2004 Budget Code and the Law on State Statistics form the foundation for dissemination of fiscal data. More specifically, the Budget Code oversees the roles and responsibilities of the MoF, while the Law on State Statistics governs the collection and dissemination of official statistics. The MoF's website maintains information related to laws and rules overseeing the collection, compilation, and dissemination of budget data. Official statistics disseminated by the MoF are governed by the Budget Code, the Tax Code, the Law on State Secrets, the Law on State Statistics, the Law on Banks and Banking, and the Code of Legal Offenses.

According to the IMF's 2008 ROSC, the MoF is the only entity responsible for collecting, processing, and disseminating official government finance statistics (GFS). The MoF's Reporting and Statistics Department has the main responsibility for the compilation and dissemination of GFS, and its Treasury Committee compiles and disseminates data on government debt and government guaranteed debt. The Government Borrowing Department compiles and disseminates data on borrowing. The MoF's role and responsibilities are spelled out in the 2004 Budget Code. The Ministry is the body responsible for the planning, execution, and reporting on the republican (central government) budget.

The Principles

Comprehensive economic and financial data, disseminated on a timely basis.

FC

The IMF's SDDS website discloses that Kazakhstan meets or exceeds most SDDS requirements for coverage, periodicity, and timeliness. However, the country avails of the flexibility option with regards to timeliness and periodicity for central government operations.

Ready and equal access to official statistics.

FC

Where applicable, Kazakhstan issues advance release calendars for all data categories and data are released simultaneously to all interested parties, according to information provided on the IMF's SDDS website.

Official statistics must have the confidence of their users. Transparency of its practices and procedures is a key factor.

FC

According to information provided on the IMF's SDDS website, dissemination of the terms and conditions for all data categories are clearly stated, except for the share price index where the released data are not official. Identification of internal government access to data before release and identification of ministerial commentary are also spelled for all data categories, with the exception of the data category "population," where such information is not available. However, several data categories -- general government (public sector operations), central government debt, central government operations, share price index, and population -- are missing information with respect to confidentiality of individually identifiable information. In addition, various data categories lack information about revisions, and various data categories -- including central government debt, balance of payments, and external debt -- do not provide advance notice of major changes in methodology.

According to the 2008 IMF ROSC, the 2004 Budget Code and the Law on State Statistics are the foundation for the generation of fiscal data. The MoF's website maintains information related to laws and rules overseeing the collection, compilation, and dissemination of budget data. Official statistics disseminated by the MoF are governed by: the Budget Code, the Tax Code, the Law on State Secrets, the Law on Official Statistics, the Law on Banks and Banking, and the Code of Legal Offenses. More specifically, the Budget Code oversees the roles and responsibilities of the MoF, while the Law on Official Statistics governs the collection and dissemination of official statistics.

A set of standards that deals with the coverage, periodicity and timeliness of data must also address the quality of statistics.

FC

According to the IMF's SDDS website, dissemination of documents related to methodology and sources used in preparing statistics is available to the public for all data categories. Similarly, summary methodologies are provided for most data categories. All data categories, according to the IMF's SDDS website, meet the SDDS requirement for dissemination of component detail and sound statistical frameworks that support cross-checks except for national accounts where no information is provided.