THE Kingdom’s first enterprise census, slated for 2010, will provide crucial information to develop effective national policies, according to Minister of Planning Chhan Thorn.

The survey is to be conducted from March 1 to 30 next year, but the exercise will only be productive if the results are put to good use, he said yesterday at a workshop marking Cambodia’s participation in the first World Statistics Day.

Funded largely by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the census aimed to gather concrete business-related information to help foreign investment and organise national-level business strategy, ministry officials have said.

Eva Asplund, country director of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency said statistics were important in assisting the private sector in business decisions, as well as for researchers, academics and legislators to have firm foundations to develop public policy.

“Statistics have to be correct, unbiased and reliable,” she said at the workshop yesterday.