By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Fijai (W/R), Jan. 11, GNA – The Western Regional Office of the Ghana Statistical Service is deploying more than 1,200 enumerators to collect data on businesses across the 16 districts of the Region for an informed economic policy decision-making by all stakeholders.
The comprehensive data collection exercise, to begin on January 15, would cover small, medium and large-scale enterprises, the services sector, and the general business environment.
It aims to verify the eight million business structures counted under the 2021 census and sharpen all rough edges for alignment in tune with developmental plans.
This forms part of the Integrated Business Establishment Survey One (IBES-1), expected to provide updated statistics on the location, ownership and sizes of businesses, and revision of key macroeconomic indicators including Gross Domestic Products.
Mr Samuel Adotevi, the Western Regional Statistician, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the Service had started a six-day training for the enumerators to enable them to carry out an effective exercise.
He said the survey was not to witch-hunt any business in terms of tax and other public revenue obligations but to help in planning to facilitate business growth.
“We are only helping the Government to know active businesses, those needing support and ultimately how government can support the growth of public and private sector businesses for the holistic development of the country,” he said.
Mr Adotevi, therefore, entreated the public to give maximum attention and the right information to the enumerators to ensure a successful process.
Mr Jibril Fuseini, a Senior Statistician and member of the Monitoring Team from the Greater Accra Region, said he was happy with the conduct of the enumerators at the training so far, adding: “I hope the same attitude will be carried out on the field for quality data gathering and massive coverage.”
“I will also entreat the public to give the enumerators positive information to help in policy planning and development as any false information will definitely come back to hunt the region’s development agenda”.
Dr Joseph Asafo, the Western Regional Trainer, said the enumerators were being taken through assignment creation, assigning enumeration zones, questioning and filing of questionnaires.
It would also guide the development of policies aimed at formalising the economy and inform policy, planning and monitoring of business growth and national development programmes.
GNA