Deadline has passed for selected businesses to submit Economic Census data

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The due date for local business to respond to the 2022 Economic Census of Island Areas has passed and now follow-up has begun for those who failed to respond to the survey, according to the ASG Commerce Department (ASG-DOC), which is collaborating with the U.S Census Bureau on the economic census.

“Response is required by law,” said ASG-DOC.

Invitations to complete the Economic Census were mailed to selected businesses starting on Jan. 31 this year and responses were due by Mar. 15, according to the U.S Census.

ASG-DOC says in a brief statement this week that businesses that received an invitation to respond to the census but have not yet replied are receiving past-due notices from the U.S. Census Bureau with instructions on how to respond and how to get assistance.

Businesses that require additional time to respond can request an extension by logging onto - portal.census.gov - entering the authentication code sent to them by mail or email, and accessing their survey card.

“By completing the Economic Census, companies contribute to a wealth of valuable data that can help grow their business,” said AS-DOC, adding that “Nonresponse Teams” will be sent out later for fieldwork, visiting the businesses that have not responded.

For more information visit census.gov/econ or call the DOC-Statistics Division at 633-0120. 

A U.S Census official told Samoa News earlier that one of the big changes for the questionnaire that covers American Samoa is that “we redesigned the question that asks about the physical location” of local businesses.”

The Economic Census of Island Areas is the major source of statistics about the structure and functioning of the economies of each Island Area, and features the only recognized source of data at a geographic level similar to U.S. counties, according to the U.S Census.

Economic Census statistics serve as part of the framework for the national accounts of the Island Areas and provide essential information for government, business, and the general public.  The governments of the Island Areas and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) rely on the Economic Census as an important part of the framework for their income and product accounts, input-output tables, economic indices, and other composite measures that serve as the basis for economic policymaking, planning, and program administration. 

Further, the Economic Census contributes critical source data for current estimates of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Island Areas.  Finally, industry, business, academia, and the general public use information from the Economic Census for evaluating markets, preparing business plans, making business decisions, developing economic models and forecasts, conducting economic research, and establishing benchmarks for their own sample surveys.