The National Statistics Office (ONC) has returned to the supervision of the Ministry of Finance, effective September 12, 2026. This significant change is based on a new presidential decree. Presidential Decree No. 26-294, dated September 12, 2026, officially transfers this authority to the Minister of Finance. Article 1 of the decree explicitly states that the supervision over the ONC is now assigned to the Minister of Finance. This new decree repeals Presidential Decree No. 25-293, dated November 10, 2025 (19 Jumada al-Awwal 1447 AH). The repealed decree, Presidential Decree No. 25-293, had previously assigned the authority of supervision over the ONC to the Prime Minister. This transfer of supervision occurs less than a year after it was initially assigned to the Prime Minister. The administrative shift shows a strategic reorientation regarding the role of national statistics within the government's financial framework.
Rationale for the Shift
The change in supervision aims to place statistical data at the core of the financial and economic system. This move is also intended to allow for greater coordination between the National Statistics Office's (ONC) figures and decisions based on them. Accurate and updated economic statistics are considered essential for effective economic planning, maintaining financial balance, precisely measuring economic activity, and monitoring the outcomes of public policies. The government's decision reflects a recognition of the critical role that strong statistical information plays in informed governance and economic stability.
Financial decisions, which include budget preparation, the estimation of revenue and expenditure, economic forecasts, and the monitoring of inflation, prices, and foreign trade, require a reliable database. The ONC serves as a central source for key indicators on prices, growth, national accounts, population, and trade, which are needed by various state institutions. These institutions rely on the ONC's data for a wide array of policy formulations and operational adjustments. Moving the ONC under the Ministry of Finance is intended to strengthen the intersection between statistical data and financial policy tools, ensuring that economic decisions are grounded in the most current and accurate information available. This closer alignment is expected to foster a more integrated approach to economic governance.
Decree Details and Publication
The presidential decree formalizing the transfer of supervision for the National Statistics Office (ONC) was officially published in the 66th issue of the Official Gazette. The publication ensures the decree's legal enactment and public awareness of the administrative change, making the new supervisory structure legally binding from its effective date. This official dissemination notes the government's commitment to transparency in its administrative reforms.
This shift in oversight aligns with the state's broader strategic direction, which emphasizes giving increased importance to digitization across various sectors. The move also aims to modernize management tools within government operations and enhance the overall quality and reliability of economic information available to decision-makers. By integrating the ONC more closely with the Ministry of Finance, the government seeks to leverage statistical data more effectively in its pursuit of economic development and stability.
Future Challenges and Goals
The challenge ahead for the National Statistics Office (ONC) and the Ministry of Finance is to translate their new institutional proximity into effective coordination. This coordination is key for ensuring continuous data updates that can accurately reflect and keep pace with economic transformations. Integrating statistical production closely with financial policy formulation will require sustained effort to harmonize methodologies and data dissemination processes. The move aims to enhance the responsiveness of official statistics to the evolving needs of economic management. This closer alignment is expected to foster a more dynamic exchange of information, supporting timely and informed decision-making within the financial sector. The success of this integration will depend on establishing strong mechanisms for collaboration and data sharing between the ONC and the various departments within the Ministry of Finance, ultimately aiming for a more agile and data-driven approach to national economic management.