Secret stats?
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“This has never happened before – and here it is again!” – said the former Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin.
“Official statistical information is publicly available, with the exception of information to which access is restricted by federal laws. (For example, the law on the protection of personal data, on banking and medical secrecy, and others. – S.B.) Ensuring the access of interested users of official statistical information to publicly available official statistical information is carried out by providing or distributing it, ”says Part 10 of Article 5 of Federal Law No. 282-FZ of November 9, 2007 “On Official Statistical Accounting and the System of State Statistics in the Russian Federation” .
However, for every law there may be a law to amend the law. So, the State Duma adopted, and the Federation Council approved a bill that the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation now has the right to classify statistics:
“Decisions of the Government of the Russian Federation on updating (adjusting) the federal plan for statistical work may establish the specifics of access to official statistical information, including in terms of temporary suspension of its provision and distribution.” https://sozd.duma.gov.ru/bill/285554-8
Rosstat has been an independent federal agency since 1998. In 2004, he was subordinated to the Ministry of Economic Development. Then directly to the government, then again to the ministry. However, formally, he had a certain independence within the framework of federal law. And it was inconvenient for many politicians, departments, regularly reporting on success. For example, a decrease in the number of the poor is declared, and Rosstat publishes data that the real incomes of the population are falling. Or: according to the results of the 2021 census (https://rosstat.gov.ru/folder/56580) the population of Russia is 147,182,123 people. And Rosstat presents other data in parallel – 145,557,576 people. ((https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Bul_chislen_nasel-pv_01-01-2022.pdf) The difference is 1.6 million.
It’s not just about Rosstat. It happens out of place and the statistics of some departments. For example, the government announced that in 2023 a state budget deficit (excess of spending over income) of 3 trillion rubles is expected. And the Ministry of Finance suddenly reports that in January alone the budget deficit is 1.76 trillion rubles. (https://minfin.gov.ru/ru/press-center/?id_4=38368-predvaritelnaya_otsenka_ispolneniya_federalnogo_byudzheta_za_yanvar_2023_goda)
In general, statistics are often inconvenient. And all the time, one way or another, they try to “call to order”. But especially active since last year.
What’s the point of hiding statistics? Why don’t people worry?
But saying nothing is impossible. Talking about continuous success is also fraught. You have to balance somehow. This is difficult for both officials and the press. Like in the old Soviet times. Nevertheless, they managed. I remember well. That is, what is stated below is not an anecdote, not a parable, but everyday life. In one regional city, at a meeting of party and economic activists, the head of the Internal Affairs Directorate reported on the work of the police, and said, in particular, that the crime rate had decreased by so many percent compared to last year. So it would be printed, quoted in the newspaper.
But no, this is information for the elite, but how to present it to the people? A small editorial synclite gathered, with the participation of the regional censor, the dearest well-fed man.
It was suggested: “The crime rate has dropped significantly over the year.” But what is “significantly”? After all, readers might think that the crime rate used to be “significantly” higher? It is forbidden.
Just “decreased” is also not good. So he was tall anyway?
It was suggested: “There is a successful fight against crime.” But if she is “successful” today, then readers might think that last year she was not so “successful” or even “unsuccessful” at all?
You can’t just “fight” either. You have to celebrate success. In the end, they agreed on the option: “The fight against crime is being carried out, as always successful.”
I repeat: not an anecdote, not a parable – a typical situation.
Then everyone read “The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of a Soldier Ivan Chonkin” – a novel by Vladimir Voinovich: “As a sin, things were going on the collective farm … Not to say that it was completely bad, one might even say good, but every year it gets worse and worse” .
The clerical language is also constantly evolving. So the new bill says: “Peculiarities of access to official statistical information.” That is, not a ban (by no means!), but “access features”. Soon, perhaps, “increase in the level of decline in success” or “decrease in the level of increase in success” will appear in circulation.
As the former Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin said: “This has never happened – and here it is again!”
Sergei Baimukhametov.
Message Secret stats? first appeared on Moscow truth.
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