THANK YOU: DOSM Sarawak director Lee Ting Siing (left) presents a souvenir to Lau. Also seen is DOSM Sarawak deputy director Mohd Yazid Kassim.
KUCHING: The upcoming Economic Census 2011 will assist the business community in terms of planning strategy as well as monitoring and promoting the industry.
Ministry of Industrial Development permanent secretary Datu Liaw Soon Eng said, during an Economic Census introduction and briefing yesterday, that feedback from businesses would help planners to make factual decisions.
“The data from this census at the same time will also help in informing planners on the necessary future planning and policies, especially involving financing, marketing and promotion, use of technology and also evaluation,” Eng said in a speech read by his representative Adeline Lau.
He said the census would cover all economic activities in Malaysia, with the exception of wholesale, retail trade, and the repair of motor vehicles.
The main economic sectors covered would involve agriculture, forestry and fishing, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and services, which includes transport, accommodation, food and beverages, real estate, professional, education, health and related services.
“Almost 41,000 businesses in the state would be covered while 943,000 would be covered nationwide,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eng pointed that the state is the third largest economy in Malaysia with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) value of RM48.8 billion (at constant 2000 prices).
“The services sector contributes 36.2 per cent to Sarawak’s GDP, followed by the manufacturing sector at 26.8 per cent, mining and quarry at 18.6 per cent and agriculture sector at 15.7 per cent.”
The Economic Census is held every five years. The last census conducted in 2006 was with reference to the year 2005.
A total of 69 temporary staff would be engaged for field operation in Sarawak until November 2011, with the first phase from April to June focusing on 6,000 food and beverages businesses through direct field work.
The second phase, which will use the questionnaire via mail approach, would involve 35,000 companies and businesses.
The census requires respondents to return the completed questionnaire within one month using an enclosed self-addressed and postage paid envelope.
Face-to-face interviews and field work, on the other hand would be conducted on companies which failed to return their forms within a month.
Under Section 5 of the Statistics Act 1965 (Revised 1989), confidentiality of all respondents is assured and no individual information would be released.
For more information on the Economic Census 2011, contact the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) at Level 5, 7 and 8, Bangunan Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93514 Kuching.
Alternatively, contact the DOSM manufacturing section on 082-428085, construction section on 082-231782, agriculture and environment section on 082-231789 or the service section on 082-231780 or visit DOSM offices in Sri Aman, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintulu, Miri, Limbang and Kapit.