Few businesses use technology

Kathmandu, Sept. 22: Nepali business institutions are poor in using technology, a study of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) shows.

According to a pilot study of the National Economic Census, only 30 enterprises, out of 6,962, have responded to the questionnaire sent via electronic means.

In a bid to test the questionnaire for the census, the statistical body under the National Planning Commission (NPC) had surveyed about 7,000 business firms from across the country.

It had applied three methods for the pilot study – printed questionnaire, e-census and filling data using the tablet in the field.

“We had urged all the business enterprises to respond to the questions online, but only 30 could manage to do so. It seems that printed matter is still the favourite of many,” said Anil Sharma, director of the Economic Census Division at the CBS.

About 30 per cent of the companies responded to the questions via tablet.

Sharma said that some well-organised companies, such as schools, banks and large business houses, filled information online.

The online method tremendously reduces the cost of the census as it does not need any paper work, and surveyors also don’t need to be mobilised in the field to collect the required data.

“E-census is fast and reliable, too. It facilitates quick response and fast results. As the data are directly saved to the server through e-census, a lot of time required for data entry is saved,” said Sharma.

However, he maintained that gradually business firms might start opting online techniques.

If we could motivate 5-7 per cent of the business firms to fill the data using the e-census method, it would be a huge success because even developed countries like Japan see only about 10 per cent participation in national surveys online, he said.

“This is the first time that the CBS is implementing the online system in national census. Therefore, we are hopeful that in the future, more individuals and companies will use it,” stated Sharma.

The CBS is conducting the first ever Economic Census 2018 to collect, process and analyse the details of about 1.5 million business enterprises in the country with the aim of creating benchmark data for economic statistics.

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

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

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

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

It will be conducted every five years.