Central Bureau of Statistics to conduct country’s first economic unit survey

Kathmandu, January 12

The Central Bureau of Statistics will conduct an economic unit survey to identify the status of small to large business enterprises and economic activities.

The survey, which will be conducted for the first time in the country, will reveal the real status of economic activities, engagement of people in businesses, their income and employment generation across the country.

According to Suman Raj Aryal, director general of CBS, the economic unit survey includes counting all enterprises run by the government and every business and industry run by the private sector. “This study will include all businesses -- large scale units to small firms run by a single person,” Aryal told THT.

He added that the survey was different from the annual economic survey published by the Ministry of Finance and the gross domestic product study.

“While calculating the GDP, we get to know about the contribution of different sectors in the economy of the country, but this study will find out the situation of micro enterprises among those sectors,” Aryal added.

Small enterprises such as retail shops, cottage industries or large businesses such as corporate houses will be included in the survey. The income and expenditure of the enterprises and the number of people employed will also be revealed in the survey.

“The survey will encompass each and every unit that is engaged in economic activity. This will reveal the real picture of businesses that are being operated in the country,” Aryal stated.

CBS is gearing up to begin the survey in mid-April and complete it in June. The field study will be conducted simultaneously in all the 77 districts. “We have 33 district offices and we’ll open 44 temporary offices in the remaining districts,” Aryal said.

CBS plans to bring out the preliminary report of the research in September. It will conduct the study with technical and financial assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency. CBS will mobilise 4,000 people to collect data manually. It will collect data through digital process in 300 selected municipalities.

Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers today approved the procedure of economic unit survey as proposed by CBS.

“As per the provision of the Statistics Act 1959, the government has approved the procedures. We’ll initiate the process after the procedures are published in the Nepal Gazette,” Aryal said. He added that the government was yet to decide on opening temporary offices and enrolment of staffers on contract basis to complete the survey.