The Government of Guinea, through the National Institute of Statistics (INS), has commenced the operational phase of the first Enterprise Census (RGE-1). The initiative aims to collect comprehensive data on businesses and economic operators nationwide. Following the official launch on September 17, 2026, the INS officially started data collection on September 24, 2026, in the commune of Matam. The event was attended by several officials and enumerators mobilized for this national operation.
A total of 900 agents have been deployed across Guinea to identify and document economic activities in both the formal and informal sectors. In Matam, the teams were divided into 16 zones to begin this first phase of fieldwork. The data collection exercise is expected to last two months before expanding to other communes and regions of the country. Local stakeholders were urged to collaborate with the data collection teams to ensure the success of the operation.
Mamadou Saïdou Baldé, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Artisanal, emphasized the importance of involving local actors in facilitating the work of enumerators. He noted that local actors would serve as supervisors and guides in the designated zones. Baldé encouraged business owners, traders, and entrepreneurs to participate in the census, stressing that it would help identify and address their challenges.
The data collected will enable the government to better understand the realities faced by economic operators and inform public interventions. According to Mamadou Saïdou Baldé, the exercise goes beyond a simple headcount of businesses, aiming to diagnose the difficulties faced by operators and identify needs in terms of industry, markets, or financial assistance.
Mamadou Camara, Deputy Director-General of the INS, highlighted that the RGE-1 is part of a process to strengthen the national statistical system. He noted that after conducting a population census, the focus shifted to economic operators. Camara stressed the importance of having a reliable database to know the number and distribution of economic operators across the country.
The INS is calling on businesses and economic operators to collaborate with enumerators and provide accurate information. The data collected will help create a national business directory and provide policymakers and economic actors with more accurate information on Guinea's entrepreneurial landscape.
The two-month data collection phase will gather information on business activities, employment, investment needs, and prospects of the enterprises surveyed. The authorities are urging traders, entrepreneurs, and industrialists to cooperate with the teams and provide sincere and transparent information. The ultimate goal is to provide a comprehensive picture of Guinea's entrepreneurial sector.
Key points
- Over 900 agents deployed to collect data on businesses across Guinea
- Data collection to last two months, covering both formal and informal sectors
- Exercise aims to create a national business directory and inform public interventions
