Informal Sector Statistics Lao PDR Informal Sector Statistics Informal Sector Statistics Training Bangkok, Thailand | 14-15 November 2017

Outline of presentation Definition of informal sector Status of the informal sector in your country Country policies for informal sector Current statistics being produced What data sources do you collect? National Accounts and the informal sector Country specific issues in statistics Development plans How development partners can help

Definitions In Lao context, the informal sector is not yet clearly identify the definition. From Statistical perspective, informal sector was defined as a household sector or activities that has been done by household, related with small revenue and income. Some activities are defined as unallocated activities. Moreover, that activities also involve with not pay tax regularly and so on Policy perspective: informal sector defines as activities that are not permanent, involve with seasonal aspect, small revenue and profit, no contract, and pay or may not pay tax regularly.

Status of informal sector statistics   1995 2005 2015 Total Population 10+ 3,157,417 3,835,149 5,131,036 Employee 2,165,988 2,469,836 3,474,582 un-employee 53,676 30,681 73,270 Data sources: Population census

Status of informal sector statistics Data sources: Population census

Country polices What are country policies and development plans for the informal Sector Government has policies to reduce poverty by enhance income earned by household with vary way of support. Support household business by protect some activities for household ex: hairdressing, etc Support on agriculture development and policies

Data sources Existing data collection activities and methodologies/ or plans Population census Lao Expenditure and Consumption Survey (LECS) 5 years: 2002/2003,…,2012/2013 Economic Census (5 years) 2006,…,2013 Annual Household Survey 2002,..,2016 Annual Enterprise Survey 2002,…,2015 and Labour Force Survey 2011 (5 year) 2011 and 2017

National Accounts How is the informal sector included in the national accounts? Conduct SUT 2012 capture household informal activities using cover agriculture production and all other activities. In GDP according to ISIC informal sector include agriculture, retail (40%), financial (less than 1 %), Professional, scientific and technical assistant and other services.   Output % Formal sector 97,181 78.2% Informal Sector Include agriculture 27,130 21.8% Total 124,311 100.0%

Issues What big issues do you face / need to resolve? Policy issues? SDG indicators for goals 8 &10

Development plans for NSO Plans to develop and enhance informal sector statistics: Improve the survey design (Questionnaire and sample selection) for Economic Census, Enterprise Survey and Household Survey TA on data analysis on LFS for informal employment (ILO support) by 2018 Training and workshop on informal sector in SNA In country workshop on informal employment and poverty TA to support data analysis on informal sector using data from LFS and LECS 2017 (future need in 2019)

Development partners How can the development partners help you? Rank priorities for development partner assistance

Q&A