The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has unveiled plans to orchestrate an exhaustive census encompassing both informal and formal businesses across the nation, aiming to elevate the foundation for effective decision-making and business growth.
The ambitious census, designed to foster a comprehensive understanding of the business landscape, is scheduled to be executed in two distinct phases.
The first phase is slated for mid-October 2023, followed by the second in 2024. The GSS emphasized that this initiative, encompassing not-for-profit enterprises as well, marks a significant advancement over economic censuses that have been conducted since 1962.
Addressing stakeholders during the Ghana 2023 Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES I) Stakeholders Consultative Meeting, Government Statistician Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim highlighted the multifaceted benefits of the upcoming survey for the nation.
“One of the goals that we will achieve with the census is what we are calling helping businesses escape the informality trap,” Prof. Annim stated. He further elaborated that the effort recognizes the multifarious ways businesses have been perceived as informal, and the census aims to address this perspective through various policy instruments and trajectories.
An additional dimension of the 2023 Ghana Integrated Business Establishment Survey, to be realized in its second phase, involves surmounting the challenges posed by the pandemic and ensuring that data can be provided to address these obstacles more effectively.
Prof. Annim underscored the pivotal role of the forthcoming data collection initiative in informing policymaking and urged the cooperation of all business proprietors.
The initiative aims to offer invaluable insights that will ultimately shape a more conducive business environment, enhance economic growth, and enable a resilient business landscape in the face of adversity.
The comprehensive census emerges as a beacon of progress, aligning with Ghana’s dedication to evidence-based decision-making and sustainable economic advancement.
Through its phased approach, it aspires to carve a path for businesses to transcend the confines of informality and embrace a more robust, inclusive, and empowered commercial landscape.
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