Accra: The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has announced the launch of the second phase of the Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES II), a crucial initiative designed to gather comprehensive data for Ghana's economic policies.
According to Ghana News Agency, this extensive survey highlights the nation's dedication to evidence-based planning, aiming to move from broad targets to actionable insights. Ghana's economy thrives on the contributions of businesses, from small vendors to large factories, all essential for job creation, livelihood support, and overall economic health. Reliable information on their operations, growth, and challenges is vital for crafting effective policies that address real needs and opportunities.
The GSS stated that IBES II represents one of Ghana's most ambitious enterprise data collection efforts to date. The GSS will deploy over 2,000 trained officers to survey more than 40,000 selected businesses across all 16 regions. The survey will capture vital information on business performance, job creation, capital investment, and obstacles hindering growth, encompassing both formal and informal enterprises across over 100 economic activity areas.
The data collected through IBES II will be instrumental in informing national indicators such as GDP, the Producer Price Index, and the Index of Industrial Production. It will also provide deeper insights into critical issues like informal employment, productivity gaps, and regional development. The GSS said this initiative was particularly timely as Ghana reoriented its economic direction, with plans to operationalize a 24-hour economy, expand local manufacturing, and boost domestic revenue.
The GSS anticipates that IBES II will help pinpoint sectors ripe for scaling, identify the support businesses need for extended operations, and highlight where digital tools are enhancing productivity. It will also provide essential data to strengthen the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector, which is central to job creation and inclusive growth. By providing evidence on areas most in need of intervention, IBES II will directly contribute to reducing regional inequalities, expanding the tax base without burdening businesses, and building a resilient private sector that fosters sustainable development.
The GSS stated that the success of IBES II hinged on the active participation of businesses. The GSS assured all participants that their responses would be legally protected and used exclusively for statistical purposes. It said the enumerators would adhere to strict ethical guidelines, and that robust quality control measures would be in place throughout the survey process. The GSS also affirmed that business participation was not merely an administrative exercise; but an opportunity to influence policy decisions related to energy access, infrastructure, tax design, trade facilitation, and digital services.
It said the IBES II aligned with a broader national agenda for evidence-based investment planning and an international agenda, including the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), which emphasized the significant return on investment in statistical systems. The GSS stated that the data gathered would empower the government, development partners, and the private sector to act with clarity and purpose. It also said that every participating business and completed interview contributed to a better-informed Ghana, bringing the nation closer to a more productive, inclusive, and reality-aligned economy.
