Muchinga Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mr. Brian Sichande, today officially inaugurated a critical training workshop for 1,366 data collectors selected for the upcoming 2025 Economic Establishment Census (EEC), declaring government’s unwavering commitment to capturing up to date data on the nation’s economy.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the provincial training in Chinsali, Mr. Sichande congratulated the participants and emphasized the importance of their role in this comprehensive national exercise, the first of its kind since 2011-2012.
“The success of this important national exercise depends on your full support,” stated Mr. Sichande. “This census is a critical resource for decision making at any level of governance, both in the public and private sector.”
The census aims to list all formal and informal economic establishments across all provinces and districts in Zambia. Mr. Sichande detailed that this includes businesses in seventeen key sectors, from agriculture, mining, and manufacturing to wholesale trade, transportation, education, and arts and entertainment.
He explained that the data collected will be a cornerstone for evidence-based policy and economic planning, particularly in areas such as industrialization, job creation, investment promotion, and SME development. The information will also enable private sector investors to identify market opportunities and make informed decisions.
Mr. Sichande made a direct appeal to the general public, business owners, associations, cooperatives, and private institutions to cooperate fully with the data collectors and provide accurate information.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary warned the data collectors that their contracts are binding, and it is an offense to break their service in the midst of the census exercise. He expressed confidence that by the end of the training, they would be competent to execute their assignments diligently.
The 2025 Economic Establishment Census is being conducted under the provisions of the Statistics Act No.13 of 2018.
