Ghana has launched a wide-reaching national effort to improve data-driven policymaking through the second phase of the Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES II), led by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The initiative is expected to cover over 40,000 businesses across more than 100 economic activities, encompassing both formal and informal sectors. More than 2,000 trained enumerators have been deployed to conduct the survey.
According to the IMANI Center for Policy and Education, the scope and ambition of IBES II mark it as a critical milestone for Ghana’s economic planning.
“It is a significant undertaking, one that would provide current data on how businesses are performing, where jobs are being created or lost, which sectors are attracting capital, and what persistent constraints firms face.”
IMANI Center for Policy and Education
These insights, if utilized properly, can help shape smarter public policy and ensure more targeted resource distribution.
However, IMANI pointed out that merely collecting data is not enough. Ghana’s core issue lies not in the absence of economic data, but in the systemic failure to interpret and implement it effectively.
Without a structured feedback loop between data collection and policy action, the country risks missing valuable opportunities for reform.
The organization warned that information must be turned into strategic guidance.
It recommended the establishment of institutional processes that ensure IBES data is integrated into government planning and budgeting. “It is important for…ministries, and private sector institutions to embed the use of IBES II into their planning, budgeting, and policymaking cycles.”
Accordingly, IMANI reiterated the importance of treating economic data as essential infrastructure.
Referring to recent remarks by Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, the group supported calls for data to be viewed not as a luxury but as a necessity for national recovery and long-term reform.
Ghana Needs Data-Led Employment Strategy
According to IMANI Africa, the survey’s outputs could become central to employment strategies, helping to pinpoint growth sectors and those in decline.
The policy think tank indicated that it could also inform more equitable tax and customs reforms, especially if data shows that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are shouldering disproportionate burdens.
By identifying where firms are flourishing and where they face obstacles, Ghana can direct infrastructure investments more strategically and allocate financial support more effectively.
“It may also help assess whether government efforts to support MSMEs are actually bearing fruit or need a rethink. To make this effort meaningful, Ghana must create a data-to-policy feedback loop where IBES results are analyzed and recommend real-time policy tweaks, institutionalize use of data in resource allocation.”
IMANI Center for Policy and Education
If certain regions or firms are consistently being neglected, new interventions can be designed to fill those gaps. IMANI argued that real-time adjustments must be made based on the evidence collected, thereby avoiding generic, one-size-fits-all policymaking.
The think tank recommended that the government embed IBES data into its fiscal tools.
For instance, procurement and budgeting decisions should account for levels of informality and business performance in targeted areas, such as border towns and underdeveloped districts.
This approach could help bridge structural imbalances and create inclusive economic growth.
The overarching warning from IMANI Africa is that Ghana cannot afford to treat IBES II as another short-lived research exercise.
Too often, important data-gathering initiatives are shelved after completion, with little to no influence on actual policymaking. To break this cycle, IMANI called for the institutionalization of a permanent data-to-policy process within public institutions.
The group backed Dr. Iddrisu’s assertion that data should be considered “core infrastructure,” but cautioned that even infrastructure is meaningless if left unused.
For Ghana to reduce unemployment, empower SMEs, and build a more resilient economy, the norm must shift toward swift, informed, and accountable governance based on current data. “Because when data lags behind decisions, we don’t just lose insights, we lose opportunities,” IMANI stated.
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