Number of basic economic units rises to 133,997, census reveals

The number of basic economic units in Laos reached 133,997 in 2019, an increase of 9,124 from the 124,873 units recorded in 2013, the economic census III conducted by the Lao Statistics Bureau for 2019-2020 has revealed.
Vientiane has the largest number of units at 22.3 percent, followed by Champassak province with 11.8 percent and Savannakhet province with 11.4 percent.

A meeting to report the findings of the census took place on Tuesday, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr Somdy Duangdy, who is a member of the National Steering Committee for the economic census III.
The first economic census took place in 2006, the second in 2013, and the most recent one in 2019-2020.
The census records the number of businesses and shops across the country.
Head of the Lao Statistics Bureau, Mrs Phonesaly Souksavath, said the teams carrying out the 2019-2020 census encountered challenges due to the rainy season, as there were floods in some areas which made travel difficult.
Lack of cooperation was another problem encountered by census officials, especially during the business registration period, and many business units were difficult to access.
The Lao Statistics Bureau does not have a database of basic economic units that can be inspected in line with the registration system of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Finance’s Taxation Department.
Establishing a statistical database from the process of collecting administrative reports at the village level and creating a unified inventory code that enables inspection and integration with the registration system are procedures that need to be urgently implemented to ensure a systematic statistics system.
Another challenge is the lack of ability and in-depth understanding on the part of enumerators concerning the concepts, definitions and methods of recording data. Most of the enumerators are from the district level.
The cooperation of local authorities is another important factor in coordinating and providing basic information to enumerators. Villages do not keep records of business units, including shops, making it difficult for these to be located and tracked.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update February 17, 2021)