In what is arguably the first significant confirmed shift in economic reporting responsibilities to take shape under the new government structure outlined by President Jacob Zuma on May 10, South Africa's statistical agency, Statistics South Africa, or Stats SA, will soon begin reporting to The Presidency's National Planning Commission instead of the Finance Ministry.
Statistician-general Pali Lehohla confirmed the change in a telephonic interview with Engineering News Online on May 18, revealing that he had been informed about the new reporting lines during the course of last week.
"Both the Minister in the Presidency, Trevor Manuel, who is responsible for the National Planning Commission, and the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan, informed me that we have new reporting responsibilities," Lehohla said, adding that the change had been communicated to all other directors-general, while Stats SA staff had been informed on Friday.
He noted that the Statistics Act of 1999 made provision for the responsible Minister to be either "the Minister of Finance, or such other Minister as the President may assign to be the executing authority".
In fact, the statistics agency had previously reported to the Ministry in the Presidency responsible for the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), but that authority had been shifted to the Finance Ministry when that RDP office was abandoned.
But while no legislative amendment was required, Stats SA would only officially begin reporting to Manuel once a notice of the change had been published in the Government Gazette.
Lehohla told Engineering News Online that there were a number of statistical agencies globally also reporting to planning commissions and/or ministries, citing Nigeria and India as specific examples.
"It is not uncommon, therefore, for the Minister's responsible for statistics to be either Ministers of finance, or otherwise Ministers responsible for the economy and/or national planning.

"But, where there is a specific planning commission or ministry, it is typical for the statistics office to be attached to that," he concluded.