Further to its release issued this past Monday, February 5, 2018 regarding the closure of the Statistical Institute of Belize’s (SIB) district offices and following calls for more information from clients and the general public, the SIB issues the following clarification:
The closure of the Institute’s district offices in Corozal Town, Orange Walk Town, Belize City and Punta Gorda Town is a permanent change being made to facilitate improved organizational efficiency. In the ten years since its establishment, the SIB has made substantial changes in the way its surveys are carried out and managed. These include a shift towards a team-based approach to field work, the transition from paper-based to electronic questionnaires administered by tablets, and the centralization of key corporate functions such as public relations, recruitment and procurement of supplies to its headquarters in Belmopan. As a result, there is no longer a need to maintain a dedicated office presence in the districts. The SIB emphasizes that this restructuring is in no way a downsizing of either its staff or its ability to carry out its mandate. Rather, it will allow for the smooth conduct of multiple surveys simultaneously, and at the same time strengthening other key statistical functions, such as national accounts compilation.
In the coming years, the Institute will continue to maintain an active survey schedule while also preparing for the upcoming 2020 Population and Housing Census, advancing its work on the National Statistical System, and moving forward with its national accounts improvement initiative. The SIB’s management and staff will continue to serve the country of Belize in the production of quality, timely, objective and relevant statistical data and we look forward to improving the quality of service and outputs offered.
