Ghana Statistical Services (GSS) launches final preparation for comprehensive national business survey

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has completed a crucial stage of preparations for its nationwide economic data gathering initiative with the satisfactory completion of a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme for Phase II of the Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES II) which took place in Winneba.

The workshop united 240 national and regional trainers and provided them with technical expertise and resources needed for data monitoring effort. This marks the last step in preparation before the placement of close to 4,000 field officers, supervisors, and technical support staff across all 16 regions of Ghana.

IBES II Phase II will collect extensive economic statistics from over 40,000 selected enterprises nationwide. The survey will inform the updating economic base years like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Producer Price Index (PPI), and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It will also provide deep understanding of Ghana’s business landscape, covering topics including capital formation, innovation practices, production composition and worth, employment trends, and sector-specific challenges.

Discussing with stakeholders at the close of the training,  Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician drew to attention the importance of the survey for national development planning. He stated that “The data we gather through IBES II will serve multiple critical purposes. The outcomes will help shape policy, inform investment decisions and support Ghana’s investment agenda.”

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. 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.

He highlighted that the planning stage is crucial to ensuring data reliability and trustworthiness throughout the entire fieldwork process. The first reports from the survey are expected in December 2025.

The GSS has urged businesses selected for the survey to fully collaborate with field staff. Dr Iddrisu declared that “This data is not just for the government, it is for Ghana.” He also encouraged private sector stakeholders, business associations, ministries, and regulatory bodies to contribute to data collection process.

The Ghana Statistical Service produces routine and ad-hoc statistics that help national development, involving data on inflation, consumer prices, and population. Through surveys like IBES, GSS remains a trusted source of data-driven analysis  for public and private sector decision-making.

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