The main aim of structural business statistics

The main aim of structural business statistics is to show the structure of the business sector with regard to economic data. Statistics are presented by economic activity, classified by Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (Nace Rev 2) and size class of enterprise which are classified by number of employed 1-4, 5-9, 10-49, 50 and more employed.

Legal acts

Legal framework on which is based the annual structural business survey is composed of Law no. 17/2018, dated 05.04.2018 “On official statistics”, and Official Statistics Programme for the period 2017-2021.

Safety of data and confidentiality

The data collected from enterprises are considered strictly confidential and used only for statistical and scientific research purposes in accordance with Law no. 17/2018, dated 05.04.2018 “On official statistics”, and Law no. 9887, dated 10.03.2008 “Protection of Personal Data”. Article 31 of the law “On official statistics” clearly states that all information collected by INSTAT is confidential and may be used or published only in summary tables that do not identify the information source unit.

Regulations

Structural business statistics are regulated by Council Regulation (EC, EURATOM) No. 58/97, 20 December 1996. For being in compliance with European regulation, structural business statistics are produced according to the below European Commission regulations:

• Regulation (EC) No. 1893/2006 for “Implementation of NACE Rev.2 in Structural Business Statistics”.
• Regulation (EC) No. 295/8 for “Structural Business Statistics”.
• Regulation (EC) No. 250/2009 for “Definitions used in Structural Business Statistics”.

Classifications and definitions

Classification of economic activities

The classification of enterprises is done according to Classification of Economic Activities, NACE Rev.2. For more information, please refer to the following link:

http://www.instat.gov.al/media/248280/nve.pdf

Economic activities

The economic activities include all enterprises that produce goods or services for the market. Agriculture, hunting and fishing activities, financial and insurance activities, public and defence administration; compulsory social security and extraterritorial organizations and bodies are not part of the survey.

Reference period

Data are collected for calendar year. The fiscal year corresponds to the calendar year.

Size class of enterprises

Enterprises are classified on size classes by number of employed (measured as employed on a full-time basis).

Coverage

The statistics comprise all active enterprises in Albania, of all legal forms. The population consists of all enterprises that, according to statistical business register were active in December of the reference year.

Sample

Enterprises with 1-9 employed are surveyed by sample survey. Enterprises with 10 and more employed are surveyed exhaustively.

Coverage fields of SBS based on Classification of Economic Activities

Indicators

The survey includes basic and macroeconomic indicators. The basic indicators include information related to economic activities, employment, incomes and expenditures and investments. Macroeconomic indicators, as production, intermediate consumption, value added, etc., are calculated based on basic indicators. Parts of the publication are also specific indicators for volume of construction, road transport, hotel, bar café and restaurants.

Definition of indicators

Basic indicators

An enterprise is: “the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations (local unit)”. The relationship between an enterprise and a legal unit is therefore defined as: “the enterprise corresponds either to a legal unit or to a combination of legal units”.

Employed is defined as the total number of persons who work in the observation unit including proprietors, employees and unpaid family workers.

Turnover comprises the totals amount invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period, and this corresponds to market sales of goods or services supplied to third parties.

Investments during the reference period includes the goods, whether bought from third parties or produced for own use, having a useful life of more than one year including non-produced tangible goods such as land.

Macroeconomic indicators

The production is an activity exercised under the control and responsibility of an institutional unit (enterprise), which combines the sources of labor forces, capital and raw materials to produce goods and perform services.

The value of production is based on:

Incomes from the sale of goods and services (turnover) realized by the enterprise:

(±) Changes in stocks of work in progress, finished goods and work on contract

(±) Changes in goods and services purchased for resale in the same condition as received

(–) Purchases of goods and services purchased for resale in

the same condition as received

(+) Capitalized production

(+) Subsidies

Intermediate consumption represents the value of products or services transformed or totally consumed during the production process. The uses of fixed assets in work are not taken in consideration.

Value added at basic prices is calculated as difference between production value and intermediate consumption.

Wages and salaries per employees corresponds to the annual average wages and salaries paid from enterprise per an employees.

How the statistics are treated

Data collection

The data are collected directly from enterprises with interviewers. The printed questionnaire is filled in at the moment of interview in enterprises.

Reliability

Treatment of non-response

Are considered as all cases of:

• Non-contact
• Full refuse
• Partial refuse (for different tables and indicators).

The treatment of partial non-response is done using direct methods or their combinations such as:

• Study of time series of enterprise and sector data;
• Data from balance-sheet file;
• The information from other files available in INSTAT such as:

• Statistical Business register;
• VAT file;

• Average data of sector where the enterprise is included are analyzed and used;
• Data from enterprises that have similar conditions are used;
• Method of average structure, especially for expenditures is used;
• For the part remained without treatment is used re-weighting method.

Quality of data

There are applied some rules for analysing quality of data:

• Mathematic control of the questionnaire
• Logic control of the questionnaire’s data
• Comparison of time series data
• Comparison of data with other files available in INSTAT
• Comparison of data with balance sheet file
• Determination of some ratios’ limits for example, average wages and salaries per employee, margin per turnover, etc.
• Analyse of huge deviations from average.

Good to know

History and Publishing

Annual Structural Survey is part of Statistical National Program. This statistical activity started in 1998. The questionnaire is reviewed every year to improve quality and quantity of data and for better implementation of Eurostat’s requirements. In November, T+11, is released general information for

main variables for reference year T. In February, T+14, INSTAT releases the publication “Results

of Structural Survey of Economic Enterprises” for reference year T.

General data are published in Statistical Yearbook. Users can find more data on the website of INSTAT:

• Enterprises economic indicators

http://www.instat.gov.al/al/themes/informacioniekonomik- për-ndërmarrjet.aspx?tab=tabs-4