SB conducts survey on businesses
Isaac Pinielo | Friday October 7, 2016 16:26
Known as the Census of Enterprises and Establishments (CEE), the survey collects and compiles basic economic indicators from businesses in the formal sector.
The last CEE in Botswana was conducted in 2006-2007. Speaking at the launch of the survey, deputy statistician general, Burton Mguni said the scope of the CEE is confined to all enterprises and establishments that were established with the aim of profit-making.
“It covers both public and private sector establishments that are located in urban and rural areas of the country,” he said.
He stated that SB, like any other statistical agency, needs to provide the government and other stakeholders with statistical information that will guide economic development. Amongst the statistical information needed, according to Mguni, are up-to-date economic indicators that will assist in monitoring economic diversification and the performance of the economy in general.
“This information will be useful in policy formulation, decision-making as well as monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the economy,” he said. The survey also aims to obtain information on the distribution of economic units with respect to geographical location as well as employment sizes of different industries. It also seeks to provide reliable primary data for the compilation of the national accounts statistics, such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and to update the business register, which is the sampling frame for economic surveys. The deputy statistician general further explained that data collection under this survey will be done in two phases, with the first phase occurring in October and November and will entail listing of all enterprises and establishments, while the second phase, which entails the actual collection of economic data will take place in 2017. “The CEE is conducted nationwide, and all business units, be it in cities, towns, villages, cattleposts, and so on, are urged to participate in accordance to the Statistics Act, which makes it mandatory for individuals, businesses and households to furnish the required information, and to answer questions during data collection,” Mguni said.
According to Mguni, failure to provide the required information by enterprises and establishments has far reaching negative effects to the quality of the economic indicators that will be produced at the end of this census and hence inappropriate development of national programmes and misguided decision-making by the business community and other stakeholders. He said confidentiality of all information gathered is guaranteed, adding that any person employed to execute any duty under the Statistics Act signs an Oath of Secrecy before a commissioner of oath.
He urged business enterprises and establishments in the public and private sector to cooperate with SB data collectors and provide the requested information.
“We need to all join efforts and support these national initiatives and all build a better Botswana,” Mguni said.
Meanwhile as part of its routine work, SB conducts quarterly business surveys that include quarterly questionnaires that have to be responded to and data compiled for the entire quarter as at the end of each quarter. “Questionnaires are sent for completion right at the end of the quarter and the requirement is to fill the questionnaires and return them to SB by post, email or the business can call the SB for collection and/or any assistance that they may require,” Mguni said.