Technical Norms for Information Collection for the Exercise of Statistical and Census Functions

Oficina Nacional de Estadística y Censos
Gerencia Legal

---

Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador
February 2026

Technical Norms for
Information Collection for the Exercise of Statistical and Census Functions

INDEX

1. GENERALITIES ...............................................................................................1
   1.1 Background ................................................................................................1
   1.2 Legal Basis ....................................................................................................2
   1.3 Object ..........................................................................................................2
2. OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................3
   2.1 General .........................................................................................................3
   2.2 Specific .........................................................................................................3
3. DEFINITIONS ...................................................................................................3
4. GENERAL RULES .......................................................................................4
5. METHODOLOGY, METHODS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE EXECUTION OF
   PROJECTS AND INFORMATION REQUIREMENT .........................................5
6. INFRACTIONS .................................................................................................6
7. FINES .............................................................................................................6
8. SANCTIONS .......................................................................................................7
9. PRIOR ACT IN CASE OF NON-COMPLIANCE ..............................................7
10. ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONING PROCEDURE ...................................8
11. IMPOSITION OF FINES ................................................................................8
12. SPECIAL PROVISIONS ..........................................................................9
13. VALIDITY, DISTRIBUTION AND DISCLOSURE ..................................................9

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
1/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026

1. GENERALITIES
   1.1 Background
   The Central Bank of Reserve of El Salvador, hereinafter Central Bank or Bank, in its role as coordinator and technical authority of the National Statistical System according to the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses, has as part of its mission, to generate economic information, supporting the formulation and execution of public policies in economic and financial matters, to contribute to the economic and social development of the country, as well as to carry out the Statistics and Censuses assigned to it by the Law, for which it has in its administrative structure a Management called National Office of Statistics and Censuses, hereinafter ONEC. The Special Law on Statistics and Censuses creates the National Statistical System, which hereinafter may be referred to as “Statistical System”, as a system that coordinates and integrates the structure, processes and resources of the Statistical function, which aims to ensure and strengthen the production of Statistical information, integrating the activities of all public bodies that produce Statistics, Censuses and Surveys, under a common regulation, guaranteeing their relevance, timeliness and quality, optimizing the use of resources. The information collected through the Statistical function and execution of Censuses is of national relevance, so it must be available to decision makers on a permanent basis and have solid and functional governance, contributing to the design and execution of public policies of the country, with its strategies and plans that promote economic and social development for the population. All natural or legal persons, who are located within the national territory, are obligated to provide truthfully, consistently and timely, the data and information requested by the personnel authorized by the Central Bank. In the event of non-compliance with this obligation, by natural or legal persons, the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses granted the Central Bank sanctioning competence, which is developed by these Technical Norms. For this purpose, the Central Bank will guarantee what relates to Statistical secrecy and conservation of Statistical information, regulated in the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses and what is stipulated in the Law on Access to Public Information or any other law on the matter, regarding the handling of confidential information and the protection of personal data; likewise, the aforementioned provision authorizes it to request from the different institutions of the Public Sector, Financial System and non-financial private entities,

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
2/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026 relevant information that the Bank uses to fulfill its functions. Under this scenario, the need arises to elaborate these Technical Norms that develop the application of what is expressed in the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses.
Article 12 letter i) of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses regulates that the Central Bank in its role as authority and coordinator of the Statistical System, will have as an attribute to issue technical norms, methodologies, methods, procedures and guidelines that it considers convenient for the development and improvement of censuses, statistics and surveys, considering international standards and sound practices in the matter.
Article 42 of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses regulates that infractions thereof will be sanctioned with a fine by the Central Bank, for which it will issue the corresponding Technical Norms; in the same sense, the cited Law makes a normative reference so that in this instrument the time, means and manner in which the Central Bank will request statistical data are established, whose non-compliance constitutes infractions in accordance with the Law.

1.2 Legal Basis

• Special Law on Statistics and Censuses.
• Organic Law of the Central Bank of Reserve of El Salvador.
• Law on Administrative Procedures.
• Law on Access to Public Information, in the case of public entities.

1.3 Object
The object of these Technical Norms is to establish the methodologies, methods, procedures and guidelines for the execution of the Statistical and Census function derived from the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses, considering international standards and sound practices in the matter; likewise, to develop the Sanctioning Regime applicable to the subjects by the Law in case of non-compliance in the supply of requested statistical information or data.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
3/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026

2. OBJECTIVES
   2.1 General
   To inform the methodologies, methods, procedures and guidelines for the execution of the Statistical and Census function, as well as the information request made by the Central Bank of Reserve of El Salvador to the different information providers.

2.2 Specific

• Define the methodologies, methods, procedures and guidelines under which the subjects obligated by the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses must fulfill each information requirement.
• Establish the necessary actions and/or procedures to follow to promote compliance with information requirements by natural or legal persons.
• Establish the procedure to follow in the event of infractions of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses.

3. DEFINITIONS

• Statistical and Census Function: Refers to the technical powers and processes exercised by the Central Bank in its capacity as authority of the National Statistical System, for the execution of Censuses, Administrative Records and all types of Surveys derived from the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses.
• Statistical Secrecy: Prohibition to disseminate, provide, disclose or communicate individual data of natural or legal persons by any means, whether written, electronic or digital, in which the anonymity of the individual data to which the information refers is not preserved, as well as the obligation not to act based on such knowledge.
• Principle of Efficiency: The Administration, before rejecting the initiation of the procedure or appeal, its abnormal conclusion or the opening of an incident, must seek the repair or correction of any defect it has noticed, even without prior notice to the interested party.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
4/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026

• Principle of Proportionality of the sanctioning power of the Public Administration: Administrative actions must be qualitatively suitable and appropriate to achieve the intended purposes, restricted in their intensity to what is necessary to achieve such purposes and limited with respect to the persons whose rights are indispensable to affect to achieve them. In this case, the least burdensome alternative for the persons must be chosen, and in any case, their sacrifice must bear a reasonable relationship with the importance of the general interest sought to be safeguarded.
• Information Providers: Natural or legal person, institution or public entity obligated to provide statistical and census information in the different projects or requirements executed by the Central Bank as the authority of the National Statistical System.
• Rejection: Qualification attributed to a natural or legal person contacted by the Central Bank to request information for censuses or continuous surveys and who has not been in the position to provide the information.
• ONEC: National Office of Statistics and Censuses

4. GENERAL RULES
   4.1 Obligation: All natural or legal persons, who are located within the national territory, are obligated to provide truthfully and timely the statistical data and information requested by the duly authorized personnel of the Central Bank.

4.2 Statistical Secrecy: The Central Bank will guarantee what relates to Statistical Secrecy and conservation of Statistical Information, regulated in the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses; as well as what is stipulated in the Law on Access to Public Information or any other law on the matter, regarding the handling of confidential information and the protection of personal data.
The individual data provided by information providers cannot be made known to the public or to official entities or bodies, but only in Aggregated Statistical Reports, which do not make it possible to deduce any information of an individual character from them that could be used for commercial, tax, or any other purpose other than the purely statistical one.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
5/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026
The personnel authorized by the Central Bank for the collection of statistical information, as well as the Members of the National Census Commission and Committees and any natural or legal person who participates in statistical and census collection activities, under the principle of Statistical secrecy, must maintain strict confidentiality and reserve regarding the Statistical or Census information to which they have access by virtue of their functions in the census process.

4.3 Disclosure: The scope and coverage of the information that must be disclosed by the Central Bank will be authorized by the Board of Directors; such information will be disclosed at an aggregate level to facilitate the analysis of the economic situation, promote economic-financial culture and research, and support the formulation and execution of public policies in economic and financial matters.

4.4 Custody of Information: The custody and control of Statistical and Census information will be the responsibility of the Central Bank.

4.5 Information Request: The Bank will request Statistical and Census information through authorized personnel.

5. METHODOLOGY, METHODS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE EXECUTION OF
   PROJECTS AND INFORMATION REQUIREMENT
   5.1 The Central Bank will elaborate, in accordance with the institutional regulatory framework, the specific methodologies, methods and procedures applicable to the exercise of the Statistical and Census function.

5.2 The Central Bank may form technical and management teams with the different units of the Bank for the planning and development stage of the different projects executed in the exercise of the Statistical and Census function. Additionally, the Central Bank may form technical teams with the support of other institutions of the Public Administration.

5.3 For the collection of statistical and census information from the different projects, the Central Bank will use digital media and platforms to collect the data provided by information providers. The information may be obtained through in-person visits, telephone calls, e-census/survey modality, administrative records or other means according to the needs of the project.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
6/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026
5.4 In the event of not finding or locating the information providers during visits, by telephone contacts or other digital communications made, the Central Bank may provide facilities to provide the information, including: scheduling appointments, establishing alternative channels for the delivery of information, or establishing days and hours appropriate to the convenience of the informant. In case of not responding to the request, a letter or final notice may be sent, granting a period appropriate to the duration of the project in question, considering the timely delivery of information.

6. INFRACTIONS
   Infractions related to the delivery of information in accordance with these technical norms are those detailed in Article 43 of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses.

7. FINES
   The Central Bank will exhaust the procedure established for the information request detailed in these norms to ensure that the requested information is provided, prior to proposing the sanctions stipulated in the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses. If all options for compliance with the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses are exhausted, the Central Bank will impose the fines indicated in Article 44 of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses. The Central Bank, considering the Principle of Efficiency of Administrative Activity, the Principle of Proportionality of the sanctioning power of the Public Administration, the criterion of the impact of the infraction on the Statistical System, as well as international standards and sound practices. Prior to initiating any administrative sanctioning procedure, it will verify if the coverage results reach at least 95%; it may not proceed with the initiation of Administrative Sanctioning Procedures, except when the requested information could affect the results for the National Statistical System.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
7/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026

8. SANCTIONS
   8.1 Sanctions for natural or legal persons
   Natural or legal persons who infringe these Technical Norms will be subject to the sanctions established in the preceding section, without prejudice to other responsibilities established in other laws. The payment of the fine or sanction does not exempt them from the obligation to provide the information requested.

8.2 Sanctions for public servants
The public servant who has participated in the commission of the infractions established in these Technical Norms, who discloses or provides individual data, or violates statistical secrecy, will be dismissed from their position, without prejudice to other types of responsibilities they may incur, whether civil, patrimonial or criminal. For the purposes of this article, it is considered that an individual data or a group of them have been disclosed when, through intent or negligence by the public servant, such data or group of data, comes to the knowledge of a person other than the authorized public servant to know it by reason of the performance of their functions.

8.3 Alternative measures to the imposition of the sanction or commutation of the sanction
The Central Bank may omit the opening of the sanctioning procedure or revoke the initiation of the procedure, when the alleged responsible party diligently regularizes the situation giving rise to the infraction within the established period. This measure must be notified to the alleged responsible party, who must respond within the period established for them. The sanctions imposed by the Central Bank in accordance with these Technical Norms may be revoked by the same, when the interested party within three business days from the respective notification provides the data requested of them.

9. PRIOR ACT IN CASE OF NON-COMPLIANCE
   Prior to the initiation of the Administrative Sanctioning Procedure for the imposition of the fines indicated in Article 44 of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses, the Central Bank, once a rejection is identified, through its Management or Departments,

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
TECHNICAL NORMS FOR THE
INFORMATION COLLECTION
FOR THE EXERCISE OF THE STATISTICAL
AND CENSUS FUNCTION
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL OFFICE OF
STATISTICS AND CENSUS
PAGE No
8/10
CODE
1100501
REVIEWED
Edgar Cartagena
Manager of the National Office of Statistics and Census APPROVED BY:
Session No. CD-04/2026 of February 25, 2026 will send notification to the households, establishments and legal persons who have refused to provide their information, explaining the importance of the requested information, as well as the obligation to deliver it in accordance with the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses, indicating a specific period for natural and legal persons to respond and receive the census taker, registrar or manager or authorized personnel by the Central Bank for the collection of information.

10. ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONING PROCEDURE
    Without prejudice to the procedure indicated in the Law on Administrative Procedures, in case of infractions of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses, the following procedure will be followed:
    If the Management and Departments of the Central Bank confirm the refusal to provide the information, the Management or Department responsible for determining the rejection will proceed to prepare a Report detailing: the address of the alleged infringer, the follow-up carried out on the information request, as well as the options provided for obtaining the information, which must be sent to the Legal Management of the Central Bank. To individualize the informant, the Bank may use the records it possesses or those it requests from any other entity that can facilitate the data for said individualization. The Legal Management of the Central Bank will be responsible for processing the Administrative Sanctioning Procedure. The payment of the fine and the delivery of the information will be indispensable to access the services provided by the Central Bank.

11. IMPOSITION OF FINES
    The final resolution of the Administrative Sanctioning Procedure will be issued by the Board of Directors, in which the amount of the fine will be determined, in accordance with what is established in the final clause of Article 44 of the Special Law on Statistics and Censuses, as well as the period and means to effect payment. Such resolution will be notified to the infringer within the period established in the Law.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
NORMATIVA TÉCNICA PARA LA
RECOPILACIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN
PARA EL EJERCICIO DE LA FUNCIÓN
ESTADÍSTICA Y CENSAL
GERENCIA OFICINA
NACIONAL DE
ESTADÍSTICA Y CENSOS
PAGINA No
9/10
CÓDIGO
1100501
REVISADO
Edgar Cartagena
Gerente Oficina Nacional de Estadística y
Censo
APROBADO POR:
Sesión No. CD-04/2026 del 25 de febrero de 2026

12. SPECIAL PROVISIONS

12.1 The Central Bank may grant economic or other recognitions, for the time and disposition for the participation of information providers in those statistical and census projects, which by their nature require it, as determined by the Presidency of the Bank for each project.

12.2 Those alleged offenders against whom an Administrative Sanctioning Procedure has been initiated or who have been sanctioned are not exempt from delivering the requested information, as well as subsequent requirements.

12.3 Cases in which the information provided or in the possession of the Central Bank is reserved or confidential shall be regulated in accordance with the Public Information Access Law.

12.4 Operational aspects not contemplated in this Technical Norm shall be resolved by the Presidency of the Central Bank of Reserve of El Salvador.

13. VALIDITY, DISTRIBUTION AND DISCLOSURE

13.1 This Technical Norm shall enter into force on February 25, 2026, and Repeals the previous version approved in Session No. CD - 18/2024 of July 11, 2024.

13.2. The Board of Directors will keep a copy of this Technical Norm as support for the Approval Act and will send the original to the Risk and Strategic Management Department, for its custody; and will deliver electronic copies as follows:

13.2.1 National Office of Statistics and Censuses.

13.2.2 Legal Department.

13.2.3 Internal Audit Department.

13.3 This technical norm will be disclosed to all Units by the ONEC and will be published by the Administrative Instruments System.

BANCO CENTRAL DE
RESERVA DE EL SALVADOR
NORMATIVA TÉCNICA PARA LA
RECOPILACIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN
PARA EL EJERCICIO DE LA FUNCIÓN
ESTADÍSTICA Y CENSAL
GERENCIA OFICINA
NACIONAL DE
ESTADÍSTICA Y CENSOS
PAGINA No
10/10
CÓDIGO
1100501
REVISADO
Edgar Cartagena
Gerente Oficina Nacional de Estadística y
Censo
APROBADO POR:
Sesión No. CD-04/2026 del 25 de febrero de 2026

MODIFICATION CONTROL TABLE
N°
Review
Previous Version
(Identification of section and content)
Approved Version
(Identification of
section and content)
Approver and date