The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has concluded a critical phase of preparations for its nationwide economic data collection exercise with the successful completion of a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme for Phase II of the Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES II).

Held in Winneba, the workshop brought together 240 national and regional trainers and equipped them with technical skills and tools required to supervise the main data collection effort. This signals the final preparatory activity before the deployment of nearly 4,000 field officers, supervisors, and technical support staff across all 16 regions of Ghana.

IBES II Phase II will collect comprehensive economic data from over 40,000 selected enterprises nationwide. The survey will inform the rebasing of key macroeconomic indicators such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Producer Price Index (PPI), and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It will also provide critical insight into Ghana’s business landscape, covering topics including the structure and value of production, employment trends, capital formation, innovation practices, and sector-specific challenges.

Addressing participants at the close of the training, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu emphasised the importance of the survey for national planning and economic management. “The data we gather through IBES II will serve multiple critical purposes,” he said. “The outcomes will help shape policy, inform investment decisions and support Ghana’s investment agenda.”

The nationwide fieldwork, scheduled to commence in July 2025, will rely on digital data collection methods using Survey Solutions, a Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) platform. The GSS has also prepared backup paper and online options to accommodate any specific technical needs.

IBES II Phase II is built on the foundation of the 2024 IBES Phase I, which established a business register of over 1.8 million enterprises. The 2025 survey sample spans 101 economic activity domains based on the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system. The data will support both national and regional level estimates, and where feasible, provide insights at the district level.

Dr Anthony Kraka, the IBES II Project Coordinator, described the training programme as a test of readiness for national implementation. 

He noted that the preparation phase is key to ensuring accuracy, consistency, and data integrity throughout the entire fieldwork process. The first reports from the survey are expected in December 2025.

The GSS has called on businesses selected for the survey to fully cooperate with field personnel. “This data is not just for the government, it is for Ghana,” said Dr Iddrisu. He also urged private sector stakeholders, business associations, ministries, and regulatory bodies to support the data collection exercise.

The Ghana Statistical Service produces routine and ad-hoc statistics that guide national development, including data on inflation, consumer prices, and population. Through surveys like IBES, GSS continues to provide evidence-based insights for public and private sector decision-making.