General Business Census (RGE)⁢ 2024: A Cornerstone for Burkina Faso’s Economic Development

Key Highlights:

• Over 2 billion FCFA invested in the campaign

• 550 agents deployed for data collection across ‍13​ regions

• ‌Reliable and⁣ up-to-date data ‍for‍ informed decision-making

The private sector is the engine of our ​country’s economy. To plan development,‌ we must take these companies into account, know how ‍they operate, ‌how they⁤ evolve, in which environment they carry out their ​activities, and what their ⁢contribution is to the national economy. For that, it’s essential⁣ to have reliable, up-to-date, and fairly complete data.

The⁤ Director General of the National Institute of ⁢Statistics and Demography (INSD), Boureima⁢ Ouédraogo, emphasized the⁤ need for Burkina Faso to ⁣have a comprehensive file of companies operating in the territory.

The‌ General Business Census ⁢(RGE) 2024,⁣ launched on August 8, aims⁢ to collect data on all economic ⁢units operating in the​ formal and informal sectors. The census will ‍cover all regions and ‌will be conducted in three ⁤phases: data ⁣preparation and⁣ collection, data processing and analysis, and publication of results.

The census will ⁣cover all⁢ economic units ‍established ​on the national territory, including​ informal businesses, formal private companies, State ‍Public Enterprises (EPE), state-owned companies, Non-governmental ​organizations,⁤ and associations. The census will not cover⁢ markets, yaars, decentralized central economic administrations, diplomatic and consular missions, ⁢non-modern agricultural⁣ units, non-market EPE, and⁤ itinerant⁢ economic units.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy, Abdou Rachid Soulama, emphasized the​ importance of⁤ the⁣ private sector in ​economic development and the need for ⁢reliable statistics on businesses. ⁢The business world hopes for ⁢the success of this initiative, as it will lead ⁢to ⁤increased investments⁣ and ‌business ​opportunities.

The economic and statistical observatory of Sub-Saharan Africa (AFRISTAT) ‌recommends updating the sampling frame for business surveys every 5​ years. The ⁣most recent‍ comprehensive⁣ information​ available on business demographics ⁣dates back to 2016 and has ​become less reliable. With the RGE 2024, ⁣Burkina Faso is updating its data‌ on several levels.

Scope⁣ of ​the RGE

The RGE will cover all economic units ⁤that ​can⁣ be located geographically by:

• Walls made of bricks, planks, or conventional sheet‍ metal

• ​Roofs made of concrete, sheet⁢ metal, or ‌other materials considered⁢ durable

• A ​wooden ​or iron front door

•​ Containers‌ are considered sites made from sustainable materials

• Units whose nature of⁤ activities leads them not necessarily to operate​ in fixed buildings (terraces, hangars)

• Economic units without ⁢brands and/or difficult⁢ to ‍locate, which carry ​out their activities on⁤ plots or ⁢concessions (some tailors, service providers, etc.)

• Non-profit organizations ​that ​serve⁢ households​ (NPISH), ‍which are​ non-market production units that serve households, which carry out activities on the national territory (non-governmental ⁢organizations, associations, etc.)

• ⁣Organizations that cease activity,‌ are ⁣in bankruptcy or created⁢ at the time of ‍the ⁤operation; they will be listed but ​excluded from the main questionnaire

• ⁤Public institutions that keep accounts only because of the market‍ nature of their ⁢activity or⁤ because of the presence of significant market activity ‍alongside the traditional activity considered non-market ​(State companies, ‌some State public institutions, etc.)