The objectives of the 2023 IBES, the fourth to be conduct­ed in Ghana by the GSS, are to build an updated online business register, update the categorisa­tion of businesses, profile the distribution of businesses by their characteristics, access the worth of businesses, and deter­mine changes in the structure of businesses over time.

The NSC has institutional rep­resentation from the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ministry of Trade and In­dustry, Ghana Revenue Authority, National Identification Authority, National Development Planning Commission, Ghana Enterprise Agency, Association of Ghana Industries, United Nations Indus­trial Development Organisation, World Bank and Ghana Union of Traders Association.

The NSC will provide strate­gic guidance and general over­sight of the IBES and monitor activities to ensure successful implementation, and also assist in the mobilisation of additional resources for the conduct of the survey.

The Deputy Minister of Finance, Mrs Abena Osei-Asare, who inaugurated the Committee said the survey would generate quality data on businesses to inform policies of government.

She stated that the country needed good data on businesses so it can plan properly for them.

Mrs Osei-Asare entreated all government agencies involved in the programme to “attach seri­ousness to the exercise.”

The Government Statistician, Professor Samuel K. Annim, in his remarks said the Phase I of the 2023 IBES was an economic census that would enumerate all businesses across all sectors of the Ghanaian economy.

Prof. Annim said 2023 IBES had been expanded to include businesses not in structures, collection of geospatial data, au­tomation of data collection pro­cesses, and the addition of new modules on digital finance and environmental responsiveness.

The Government Statistician explained that this would help to generate data on the charac­teristics of Ghanaian businesses, and help the state to understand the support businesses needed, and business performance and growth.

The chairperson of the GSS’s Board, Dr Grace Bediako, who is also a member of the NSC, said the IBES was important as it would help determine the social demographics of businesses in the country.

She said the first time the programme was organised was in 1987 and the second in 2003 and the fourth in 2013.

Dr Bediako said the 2023 IBES would collate data on the Tax Identification Numbers of Businesses.