December 9: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is preparing to undertake the census of economic activities for the first time in Nepal. The Bureau declaring 2018 as ‘Economic Census Year’ started the preparation. According to the Dr Rudra Suwal, Deputy Director General of the Bureau, the economic census will be conducted on all 15 economic areas including agriculture, mine, transportation, industries, tourism and employment. The census will present clear glimpse of economic activities of every kind. 

 “Presently, the statistics of gross domestic product (GDP) of Nepal do not reflect actual scenario,” he said, adding, “The economic census of 2018 will take us near to the actual GDP.” In 1961, for the first time, Nepal announced the GDP.  After the census, changes can be observed in the size and structure of the economy of Nepal. It has been said that currently the economic size of the country is Rs 21 billion. The census will also show the changes in the economic size, as per him.

CBS will be conducting economic census from the mid of 2018 and is preparing necessary ground work. The Department after the first economic census will conduct the census in the gap of five years. The census will give the actual picture of the contribution made by various sectors of the economy.

Currently, CBS is preparing for determining the mapping of census area. The department will be mobilizing 5000 data collectors for three months. Suwal informed that the preliminary census will be unveiled in two or three days after finishing taking census and complete details will come out after a year.