Statistical Returns Act

Financial analysis uses many statistical techniques, statistical analysis has broader applications beyond finance, identifying trends, patterns and relationships within data that can inform companies and other organizations about customer satisfaction, operations, outputs and efficiencies.

STATISTICAL RETURNS ACT 1896 - SECT 4

Government statistician may collect and publish statistical information

1. The government statistician may collect and publish statistics in relation to —
   • population and vital statistics;
   • immigration and emigration;
   • social statistics;
   • factories and manufacturing industries;
   • wages, employment and unemployment
   • tourism, recreational and household services;
   • imports and exports;
   • shipping;
   • transport and freight;
   • banking, insurance, finance and business services;
   • land tenure and occupancy;
   • agricultural, pastoral and kindred industries;
   • mining and mining industries (including quarries);
   • retail and distributive industries;
   • forestry;
   • fisheries;
   • local government;
   • water conservation and supply;
   • building and construction industries;
   • energy sources and industries;
   • the environment;
   • any other prescribed matters.
2. Without limiting the generality of subsection (1) , the government statistician may make approved forms available to any person by delivery or in such other manner as the government statistician thinks fit or as may be prescribed.
3. An approved form must state the nature of the information the government statistician requires.
4. A person to whom an approved form is made available shall insert or cause to be inserted therein all the information required to the best of the person’s knowledge and shall within 30 days after the form is made available to the person return it, duly filled up, to the government statistician or some person authorised by the government statistician to collect or receive the same.
5. The government statistician may collect information by asking a person a question in any way, including by a verbal, electronic or written communication.
6. The government statistician may collect information incidental to the collection and publication of statistics under this section including, in particular, information to prepare a sampling frame.