In 1998 Aija Žigure was appointed President of the CSB. Under her leadership Statistics Latvia prepared to join the European Statistical System.
Aija Žigure undertook doctoral studies at the University of Latvia, faculty of Economics and Management and delivered the course “Quantitative Methods in Economics” at the School of Business Administration “Turiba” for three years.
Aija Žigure is a board member of the Latvian Statistical Association. She has written several publications and scientific papers on statistical issues. She has shared her experience and knowledge with statisticians from developing countries and the CIS on restructuring the Latvian Statistical System according to the requirements of the European Statistical System.
The mission of the CSB is to provide domestic and foreign data users with timely, precise, complete, comprehensible and internationally comparable statistical information on the economic, demographical, social and environmental phenomena and processes using up to date information technology solutions and best practices in the sector.
Vision
The CSB is the main coordinator of statistical processes and producer of statistical information in Latvia. The quality of information produced by the CSB corresponds to the standards of the European Statistics Code of Practice. The CSB data collection, processing and dissemination principles are appropriately documented, correspond entirely to the international examples of best practice, and are publicly available.
During the process of data preparation the CSB applies data collection approaches, alternative data sources, data processing methods and mathematical models, which enable the reduction of the burden on respondents in the preparation of reports.
Methods convenient for users are applied for dissemination of statistical data – the Web has become the primary form of data dissemination. The statistical data is supplemented with statements on the quality of the data.
The level of competence of the CSB’s personnel allows Latvia to present its interests to international institutions. The methods applied for the training of personnel provide for rapid acquisition of skills, as well as ensuring the improvement of the competence of current employees.
Organisation structure
CSB’s key functions – production of statistical information – are carried out by five departments and two independent divisions:
Price Statistics Department,
Agricultural and Environment Statistics Department,
Macroeconomic Statistics Department,
Social Statistics Department,
Business Statistics Department,
Business Tendency and Territorial Statistics Devision
Mathematical Support Division
Statistical Methodology and Organisation Division.
The collection of statistical data from respondents is carried out by four data collection and processing centres, three of which are located outside Riga.
Support functions in the CSB are provided by:
Administrative Department,
Information, Publishing and Printing Department,
Informatics Department,
Strategic Planning and Resources Management Department
EU Affairs Coordination Division,
Legal Division,
Personnel Management Division.
In 2007 the Social Statistics Department was supplemented with the Population Census Section, which is responsible for preparatory works and management of theprocess.
In 2007 the CSB also established the Centre of Telephone Interviews in Preili, responsible for conducting surveys of Latvia's population by telephone.
