By Abdul Rahman Bah
On Wednesday 20 September 2023, Statistics Sierra Leone updated the Census of Business Establishments and lunch of the consumer price index (CPI) at Corner Lodge Freetown.
Samuel Ansumana Director of Comms & PR-Stats SL in his opening said that the program is in two ways the first one is the statistics Sierra Leone update on Census establishment and the launch of the consumer price index Manual which is very important
Director Of NAESD-Mwaluma Andrew Bryma Gegbe in his statement said that in May last year and December 2022 to the first quarter of 2023 they conducted what is called the Census Business Establishments and they trained people to gather information through the enterprises information they bring out they will put it on their data. The incomplete information they will make sure that they send back the correct and completed information and that the data is clean and ready to be reported in either research or further analysis.
He further said that the launching of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Manual is a very important document and is even a requirement for ECOWAS countries that compile what is called the Consumer Price Index. He said that the Consumer Price Index is the first to be on air for Sierra Leone over 50 years and this document serves as a reference for the field staff that doing the Work or any other SS staff. Take holders like the Bank of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Finance, IMF, and the World Bank who like to know how they do their compilation. He further said on the compilation they have put all the necessary materials which they used like softer ware etc.
Andrew Bob Johnny – statistics General He said that the Census of Business Establishments is conducted in every five years and also statistics Sierra Leone conducted a Census of Business Establishments between December 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. The entire country was canvassed approximately 901 field staff to identify and register all business activities and the international industrial classification (which ISIC REV 4) was applied.
He highlighted some of the records of the establishment a total of 165,514 records about 48,299 regular business establishments (permanent non-baffles) were identified and recorded He further said that another 117,215 tiny business establishments ( non-permanent/baffles) were recorded and over 70 percent of the establishments is trade. He further said almost half (45.3%) of the business establishments are located in the western Area Nine out of every ten businesses are individually owned ( sole proprietor) and the most typical tiny establishment is trade (69.1%).
Mr Andrew further said that the number of workers per establishment in the Census of Business Establishments reported a total of 235,413 workers nearly two-thirds (64.6%) of the businesses have one or two workers.