First Economic Census to record 1.5m business firms

Kathmandu, Sept. 16: The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is set to acquire and record information of as much as 1.5 million business enterprises in the country. 

The statistical body under the National Planning Commission (NPC) is conducting the first ever Economic Census 2018 to collect, process and analyse the details of all business units – both government and private sector – with an aim of creating benchmark data for the seamless economic statistics.

According to Director of Economic Census Division at the CBS Anil Sharma, the census will collect details from 1.2 to 1.5 million enterprises across the country.

“That is our rough estimate. About 800,000 business enterprises have obtained the Personal Account Number (PAN), and the 2011 Census had recorded more than 700,000 micro, cottage and small business enterprises which were not registered. So, there might be up to 1.5 business enterprises in the country,” he said. 

The Economic Census will begin from the first day of the new year of Nepali calendar, April 14, 2018. The data collection work will be completed in two and half months, and data entry will be finalised by mid-September next year.

“If everything goes well, the preliminary result of the census will be made public by the end of September 2018,” Sharma said. 

The statistical body is planning to decentralise the data entry system with the Economic Census.

Sharma said that the CBS was planning to establish offices in all 77 districts by mid-April 2018.

“We have branches of CBS in 33 districts. Capacity of those offices will be enhanced and new offices will be established in the remaining districts,” he said. 

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing technical support to the CBS for the census; it includes information technology (IT) system and knowledge support. 

More than 5,000 staff will work for the Economic Census and about 4,000 will be mobilised in the field. 

The Rs. 420 million programme will use questionnaire, tablet and e-census method to collect the data in the field. 

As per the CBS, the Economic Census will also create basic statistics of the local units. 

“It will provide reliable data for planning and policy formulation to the government, universities and private sector bodies. Businessmen can establish and expand their businesses on the statistical basis,” said Sharma. 

The census will collect information of business institutions relating to mines and excavation, industrial production, electricity, water supply, waste management, construction, wholesale and retail trade, vehicles, transportation and warehouse, foods, information and communication, finance and insurance, education, health, social works, art, entertainment, real estate, administrative and technical services. 

Information such as addresses of the business enterprises, major activities, employment, capital investment and access to credit will be included.  

It will be conducted in every five years. 

Published in The Rising Nepal Daily, 17 September, 2017.