Economic census to start next month

Economic census to start next month

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) will start a nation-wide census early next month to map out the weaknesses and strengths of the country's business activities.

BPS chairman Sugito said here yesterday that the census would cover almost all business sectors, including mining activities, power generation, manufacturing, construction, retailers and wholesalers.

Service activities related to transportation, finance, accommodation and restaurants will also be targets of the census.

"All licensed business units, except those engaged in agriculture, will be surveyed," he said.

Sugito said that small-scale companies without business licenses will also be surveyed, but randomly.

BPS will deploy around 86,000 surveyors comprised of workers, teachers and students, to carry out the census, the second economic survey to be conducted by the agency to date.

Data will be collected in all parts of the country in December and January in cooperation with provincial administrations. The outcome of the survey will be published in February 1997.

"President Soeharto is expected to launch the census on Thursday," he said.

The agency will need at least Rp 200 billion (US$87.2 million) in state funds to finance the nation-wide census.

Sugito said that the government has earmarked around Rp 63.4 billion for data collection in the current state budget, which ends in March.

"We expect the remainder to be made available in the following fiscal years," he said.

Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto has appealed to business players to support the census and to give correct data to BPS's surveyors.

Sugito described the census as a breakthrough for the country's economic players, which at present still lack adequate business data in backing up their operations.

He explained that data to be obtained from the census would be used to formulate a business information system for the country.

"The census will be important for mapping out business potential and weaknesses," he said.(hen)