1. COMPILATION OF DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE STATISTICS IN UGANDA
May 29th 2008
Anguyo William

2. Presentation Introduction Importance of Distributive trade statistics
Source of Distributive Statistics .
Data collection Methodology.
Statistical Units
Data Items
Challenges
Dissemination
Future Plan
Conclusion

3. Distributive Trade Covers
Introduction
Distributive Trade Covers
Wholesale Trade.
Retail Sales and
Repair and sales of Vehicles and Motor cycles.

4. Importance of Distributive Trade Statistics
Serves as an input data for National Accounts. The Sector maintained an average contribution to GDP of approximately:
11.1% 2005/2006 FY
11.4% in 2006/2007 FY
12.4% in 2007/2008 FY
Provides employment data for labour market
The statistics provide indicator such as value added to measure the net output of this sector.
Provide sample frame for other economic Surveys

5. Sources of Distributive Trade Statistics
In Uganda up to now, there has been no system of regular statistics specifically on the distributive trade sector. However, information about the sector has been collected from the following sources:
Economic Surveys.
Administrative data from URA, Registrar General’s Department etc.

6. Back ground of Economic surveys as a sources of Distributive trade statistics
Uganda has conducted economic surveys since the 1960.The first know as the survey of industrial production was conducted in 1964/65 with 1963 as reference year.
Subsequent surveys were conducted annually for 1964 to 1971(except for 1970) covering Mining and Quarrying, Manufacturing, construction and electricity but did not cover distributive trade

7. Back ground (Cont)
For the period 1972 to 1988 no successful surveys similar to those in the fore going out line were conducted .Until 1989 when Census of Business Establishment was carried.
The 2000/2001 economic survey called Uganda Business Inquiry was the tenth survey conducted.
The 1989 and 2000/2001 economic surveys conducted covered distributive trade sector.

8. Data Collection Methodology
The data collection was mainly done by personal interviews using pre-designed questionnaires.
The questionnaires were categorized into two thus:
For the Formal Sector ( Businesses with Final Accounts )
For the Informal Sector, (Businesses without Final Accounts)
The telephone method was only used to verify some data provided by the establishments
Interviewers were trained to extract data from the Final Accounts
Interviewers were deployed in teams of 6 each with a team leader.
They were also responsible for the coding of the activities (ISIC Rev 4)

9. Data Collection Methodology, Cont
More data was collected from the Household based enterprises targeting the informal businesses at the HH
This was done by administering pre-designed questionnaires to sampled households.

10. Data Items Data was collected from the following items:
Identification Particulars such as Name of the businesses, their addresses, location etc
Main and secondary activities
Employment and Costs of Staff (wages & salaries, pension payments in kind etc)
Current and Fixed Assets
Purchase of goods and services and other costs including bad debts etc
Total Sales and Other incomes.

11. 2000/2001(UBI)Indicators
Retail Trade had the highest Value Added of 60 percent, Gross Output 61 percent; and employed more persons 74 Percent; than other sub sectors in distributive trade.
Although Wholesale Trade had less businesses, it had more Value Added and Gross Output than the Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles.

12. Some Indicators Computed from the 2000/2001 UBI
Trade Sector
Businesses
Number
Employment
Value Added
,000(Shs)
Gross Output
Retail Trade
98,878
161,405
444,011
714,376
Wholesale Trade
3,302
21,143
165,846
267,907
Repair of Motor-vehicles and Motor-cycles
5,306
36,101
125,082
189,143
Total
107,486
218,649
734,939
1,171,426

13. Dissemination
The dissemination policy is yet to be in place. However the results of previous surveys were disseminated to the stake holders and general public Through:
Power point presentation
Print and Sending hard copies of the Reports to the stakeholders and Libraries.
Press Release
Posting soft copies to UBOS web site.

14. The statistical units used for previous surveys Included:
Retail and Whole sale out lets
Garage out lets for motor vehicle and motor cycles
Departmental stores
Stalls
Gasoline etc,as specified in the ISIC

15. Challenges faced in conducting the Previous surveys:
Lack of co-operation from Businesses
Lack of Proper records on the side of businesses.
Reluctance in giving required data due to fear of taxes
Lack of funds to conduct more frequent economic surveys.

16. Challenges(cont)
Short operational period of the business, some times only 6 months.
Covering both household based and non-household based business.

17. Future Plans
Conduct another round of Uganda Business Inquiry, covering the trade sector
Conduct Annual Business Inquiry after every two(2) years.
Compute short time indices for distributive trade on quarterly basis if funding secured.

18. Conclusion
Although Distributive Trade Statistics is a difficulty area to handle, we managed to collect the required data and computer indicators in 1989 and 2000/2001 economic survey. We are yet to compile indices of Distributive Trade.
Thanks