Surabhi

Data gaps in the country’s statistical system may be filled to some extent with the government now looking to launch four new surveys to capture activities in the services sector, informal enterprises, households, overall establishments and employment creation. "We will be launching an Annual Survey of Services, Survey of Informal Enterprises, Time Use Survey and the Economic Census," said K.V. Eapan, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The Economic Census will also be linked to the GST Network to create a business register of all establishments in the country. The results of the Periodic Labour Force Survey that was launched in April 2017 would also be available this year, said D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Unveiling the Ministry’s plans for the coming financial year 2018-19, Gowda said the base year revision of macro-economic indicators, including National Accounts, Index of Industrial Production and Consumer Price Index would also begin. "The new base year for GDP and IIP will be 2017-18 and for CPI, it will be 2018," he told presspersons. Currently, these follow a base year of 2011-12. The revision is expected to take about two years and the new series will be available from 2020-21.