Ministry to launch e-System for industrial statistics

Business Saturday 04/May/2019 17:15 PM
By: Times News Service
Ministry to launch e-System for industrial statistics

Muscat: The Directorate General of Industry of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is gearing up to launch a digital system for industrial statistics during May. This is part of the efforts for transformation aimed at converting all stages of the industrial survey in the ministry to be fully digital.
Engineer Sami Bin Salem Al-Saheb, Director General of Industry, said: "The ministry always try to improve its services for investors internally and abroad. The availability of statistics and information of all kinds helps determine the type of investment, its feasibility and the extent of its marketing potential inside the country and abroad."
"This is why the ministry always updates its data in accordance with modern scientific method to match with the current and future stage. The ministry also updating its electronic survey of industrial establishments this year," he added.
He said that this would help in speeding up of industrial survey, make access to information easy saving time and efforts and link the procedures and dealings with concerned government organisations. Furthermore, it would reduce the burden from the industrial establishments and make filling data easier. The electronic survey would reduce dependence on specialised inspectors to collect data from these establishments. They would be assigned other works like data analysis and verification of accuracy.
"The industrial survey is carried out annually to prepare a comprehensive and up-to-date database on the sector of the Sultanate. This data is used for development planning, policies and programs formulation, and other such purposes which serve development," said the director general of industries.
Al Saheb said that the annual industrial survey was conducted in various governorates of the Sultanate to cover the industrial establishments which have got industrial licenses and their investment costs are not more than OMR5,000 and has more than nine workers for the industrial data of the fiscal year 2018. It is expected that the industrial survey would begin in May 2019 for which another announcement would be made.
He urged industrial establishments to make the project of electronic survey a success, as it is the first such experience of the ministry. This survey would help in understanding the negative aspects and how to deal with them.
He said that the concerned people in these establishments should contact the directorate of industrial information in the ministry in this regard as it is in the interest of both the industrial sector and the industrial establishments which are being covered in the survey this year.
Al Saheb said that the collection of industrial data digitally would make it easy for the industrial establishments to fill the information in the survey system with accuracy. This would make the data collected more accurate and precise. This is the first stage of improvement which would be followed by would help in the development of the industrial sector.
Said bin Salem Al Logani, a statistical data collector at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said: "The digital transformation in the industrial survey will help in reducing the amount of time and efforts previously made. This electronic system will make it easy for the industrial enterprises to fill data correctly and provide information swiftly. The work will be done quickly. This system will encourage cooperation between the industrial establishments and the collectors of the data."
Rahmah bint Abdullah Al Riyamiyah, statistical data entry professional in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that the website of the industrial survey enables the officials of the industrial establishments to fill the data directly and reduces the chances of mistakes committed during collection of data as in the past. This system would make it easy to verify the data and access to it.
Saif Bin Khalfan Al Ghaithi, Managing Director of Sohar International for Urea and Chemical Industries, thanked the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the digital transformation.
He said: "The new electronic system will minimise the steps of delivering survey data directly to the industrial statistics website. As a result of the success of this survey, we, as industrial establishments, would get benefit of the industrial publications as they would provide information regarding many important areas as well as goods produced in the Sultanate and comparison of activities."
Engineer King Darmarg, a partner at the business office of a financial and management consultancy, said: "The basic thing is to provide accurate data as the digital system would serve decision-making processes, contribute to investment opportunities in the labour market and decision making process of investors. The availability of the up-to-date and accurate data makes it easier for the concerned organisations to take incentives and provide detailed information.
Helal bin Said Al Yahyai, Chief Executive Officer of Nizwa Cement Industries, urged the industrial establishments being covered in the survey to cooperate in providing the correct information and data in the digital survey form. The correct data will help the sector and create competitive opportunities among companies. It will also provide opportunities for job seekers as well as help in quality of production.
He said that Nizwa Cement Industries was one of the companies which was always keen to provide required data in the annual industrial survey form on time. This is because it understands importance of such surveys and its benefits for the companies as well as those who want to make investments.