Page 299 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 2

STS496 Mario P.R.
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potential budget cuts, it does ensure that the provision of information by
INEGI on subjects deemed of national interest cannot be affected by an
unilateral decision of the government to substantially cut its funds, as the
provision of this information is protected by law.
In sum, both its legal mandate and autonomous status have facilitated the
Institute to operate as a neutral -external to all governmental activities and
state units- producer of official statistics on relevant economic and social
phenomena, as well as guardian of the quality of the information made
available by the whole national statistical and geographic system. The legal
institutional framework supporting that regulates and protects INEGI’s work
has helped to insulate the Institute from political interference. The guaranteed
publication of data on sensitive subjects that may in some instances contradict
government claims, such as figures on national accounts, inflation,
unemployment, homicides and victimization rates, are examples of the
soundness of this institutional framework. Notwithstanding, there are some
ever-present risks.

3. Ever-present risks
As it has been mentioned above, NSOs face today increasing competition
from private data providers. Many of them look to sell their work to the
government and it may be in the interest of governments to hire them,
especially if the statistical information provided by NSOs contradict their
claims. The risk of outsourcing the production of statistics is that there is no
guarantee the information produced by private data providers will meet the
impartiality, quality, transparency, confidentiality and independence standards
that NSOs follow in their production of official statistics.
Also, there is always the risk of budget reductions. NSOs already attempt
to respond to huge demands to produce more and better statistical
information, while working in an environment of constrained resources.
Budget cuts exert even more pressure to their work, and if they are substantial
they may seriously undermine the capacity of NSOs to comply with their remit,
reducing consequently their production of relevant and quality official
statistics.
Finally, despite a legal framework recognising the professional
independence of NSOs, there might always be incentives/attempts by the
governments to make political nominations for the high official positions at
the NSOs, or even modify the law to influence the statistical offices’ work. In
this kind of cases, the defence of the NSOs independence must be in the

6 As it has recently happened at the beginning of 2019, situation which led the Institute to make
personnel cuts, as well as administrative and programmatic changes (such as the cancellation
of some surveys and other programmes). (Animal Politico, 2019)
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