The headquarters of the National Bureau of Statistics in December 2018 Photo: VCG

China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Monday new plans to develop an electronic statistical ledger system for businesses, and relax legal restrictions on interdepartmental data sharing as part of its continuous effort to enhance the quality of statistical data. 

The announcement came in response to a public inquiry on the Chinese government's official website, gov.cn, which is managed by the State Council's General Office. The website serves as a platform for the public to voice their concerns and suggestions and receive direct responses from government agencies.

Recently, a citizen highlighted issues with inaccurate data reporting by enterprises and individuals, suggesting that the NBS could utilize the country's tax system to cross-verify data to reduce statistical errors and the NBS' workload.

In response, the NBS said it is committed to pushing the easing of legal restrictions on microdata sharing between governmental agencies, and building a statistical ledger system for businesses to improve efficiency and data value.

Experts noted that the response from the NBS aligns with the department's recent efforts to promote intergovernmental data sharing, facilitate cross-verification of data across departments, and simplify data collection process.

China has been actively promoting data sharing among various departments in recent years, it has developed a unified reporting platform for businesses and individuals to file taxes and report census data, allowing multiple governmental departments to collect and cross-verify data, and the initiative not only simplifies the reporting process for businesses and individuals but also improves data accuracy, Ye Qing, former deputy head of the statistics bureau of Central China's Hubei Province, told the Global Times on Monday.

With the use of big data, AI and other technology, government departments can now access the same data through a unified platform, preventing businesses from concealing true data or reporting different figures to different agencies for profit. 

In the past, a company might report higher profits to banks for loans and lower profits to tax authorities to seek tax breaks. The establishment of a unified big data platform resolves these issues and enhances the accuracy of statistical data, Ye noted.

The NBS acknowledged existing challenges in data collection work, particularly in inconsistent data definitions and varying reporting timelines between government departments. The bureau will focus on putting down legal barriers that currently hinder the sharing of microdata among departments. 

The initiative aligns with recent statements by the NBS Commissioner Kang Yi, who stressed the importance of preventing and penalizing data fabrication during the fifth national economic census and subsequent quality checks, ensuring every data point is verified and backed by solid evidence.