James Kon
The Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, through the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS), Ministry of Finance and Economy will conduct the Annual Census of Enterprises (ACE) 2023 for the reference years 2021 and 2022, starting today until February 28.
According to DEPS, ACE 2023 covers active companies and businesses in the Sultanate and collects information on the type of economic activity, number of employed, revenue and expenditure of the businesses.
The ACE 2023 is conducted under the Statistics Act, Chapter 81 from the Laws of Brunei Darussalam. DEPS assured companies and businesses that information collected during the census will be kept strictly confidential and will be used for statistical purposes only.
Under Section 9, Statistics Act, failure or reluctance to give the required information or furnishing false particulars is an offence which carries a penalty of a BND4,000 fine.
The main objective of the ACE 2023 is to collect the latest information on the profile and performance of business enterprises in the private sector, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The ACE 2023 questionnaires will be distributed to companies and businesses by post, e-mail and visits to business premises by appointed census fieldworkers.
The appointed fieldworkers will also assist and provide guidance to companies and businesses to complete the questionnaire if required. The ACE 2023 questionnaire can also be downloaded from the DEPS website.
The closing date for returning the completed questionnaires to DEPS is February 28.
Results from the ACE 2023 will provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on the profile of businesses to assist in the planning, research and policy making related to the development of the private sector in contributing towards the country’s economic growth.
Companies and businesses may also use the data obtained from the census to make decisions and plan business strategies.
The support and co-operation from companies and businesses in providing correct and complete information are essential for the success of the census.
