By Tendai Chisiri
Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Prof Mthuli Ncube in his keynote address said a successful Economic Census shapes the conomic policies and strategic decisions at the launch of the 2025 Economic Census at a hotel in Bulawayo.
“I am confident that, with your selfless cooperation and support, “a successful Economic Census to shape our economic policies and strategic decisions awaits”, as he declared the 2025 Economic Census officially launched.
The 2025 Economic Census, is the first of its kind to be conducted in the country. It is a comprehensive survey that the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) will undertake with the objective to produce comprehensive baseline statistics on the size and structure of the economy.The statistics are key for evidence-based policy formulation, decision-making and strategic planning in addition to Gross Domestic Product compilation.
The scheduled Economic Census is expected to run from January 2025 until end of 2026. Preparatory activities, including mapping of business locations, will commence in 2024.Preliminary results are expected by the end of first quarter 2027, with final results by end of second quarter of the same year.
In keeping with the Devolution Agenda, the 2025 Economic Census will provide valuable insights into the geographical spread of both the business establishments and economic activities across the country. The gathered information will be key to the development of a comprehensive Statistical Business Register for use as a sampling frame for subsequent economic surveys.
“In pursuit of our transformative and inclusive development agenda, the country launched Vision 2030 of becoming aprosperous and empowered upper middle-income economy society. To warrant fruition of this noteworthy drive, the 2021-2025 National Development Strategy (NDS) 1 was developed to propel inclusive and sustainable economic growth.11. It is therefore of paramount importance, that an Economic Census be conducted for ground truthing of the country’s achievements, at the same time, providing baseline statistical information for the successor National Development Strategy 2 running from 2026-2030”, Ncube said.
Statistics produced from the Census will also inform on progress made towards regional, continental and global initiatives including the Africa Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals. Consistent with the “leaving no one and no place behind”mantra, the 2025 Economic Census will also cover Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs).
” By obtaining data from MSMEs, development initiatives for the sector will be more informed, ultimately making the MSMEs thrive and at the same time, contributing significantly to the economy. As Peter Drucker once stated, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”, allow me to equally say Chairman Mao’s words that “if you did not conduct the Census, you have no right to speak”. Let me say that, undertaking of an Economic Census is a universal practice akin to the Population and Housing Censusal beit focusing on business enterprises. The 2025 Economic Census will be conducted under the provisions of the Census and Statistics Act [CHAPTER 10:29]”, Ncube explained.
“International guidelines and standards will also be observed to ensure the statistics are locally relevant, at the same time beingregionally and internationally comparable. The inaugural 2025 Economic Census is a priority project that the Government of Zimbabwe is fully committed to ensure its success”.
“As such, maximum support is expected from the business community through the provision of timely and truthful information, be it state owned enterprises or privately owned businesses, whether registered or not registered. At this point, let me say due to the magnitude of the work preceding the execution of the 2025 Economic Census, Provincial Development Coordinators (PDCs) are once again expected tocoordinate related activities in their respective provinces”, he added.
He also urged all levels of Government, the business community, and everyone else in the country, be they citizens or non-citizens, to cooperate and render undivided support to the work of the 2025 Economic Census
“I am confident that, with your selfless cooperation and support, “a successful Economic Census to shape our economic policies and strategic decisions awaits”, he said.
ZimStat acting directors general, Matiwonesa Phiri in her remarks at the launch said Economic Census is a comprehensive exercise that is carried out with the aim of collecting detailed information on economic activities undertaken by various economic units in the country.
Whereas the Population and Housing Census relates to the enumeration of people together with their demographic, social and economic characteristics, the Economic Census focuses on activities of business enterprises to produce various economic activities of business enterprises to produce various economic indicators.
The Economic Census aims to, among others:a) provide comprehensive baseline statistics on the size and structure of the economy; b) provide valuable insights into the geographical spread of economic activities and business establishments in the country; c) generate key information for compiling of Gross Domestic c.comprehensive Statistical Business and d) to provide requisite information for the development of an economy.
The 2025 Economic Census will be conducted in all ten provinces of the country, and will collect information from business establishments operating in Zimbabwe except those engaged in the following:a) Agriculture, forestry and fishing activities, b) Public administration and defence; compulsory social security activities,c) Activities of households as employers and d) Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies.
The Economic Census roadmap is as follows; a) Mapping of business enumeration areas scheduled for April 2024–July 2024. The exercise involves identifying locations from which businesses are being operated. b) Listing of all business enterprises, from which details will be collected on such particulars as names and addresses of the business operation, contact details, main economic activities engaged in, among other key information engaged. The exercise will take place in the period August2024to November 2024. c)Data collection for small business commencing in January 2025 and running for the whole year until December 2025.d) Data collection for medium and large business enterprises earmarked for April 2026 to September 2026.e) Preliminary results are expected by the end of first quarter 2027 and final results by end of second quarter 2027″, Phiri revealed.
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