Kota Kinabalu: More than 60 per cent of the 90,000 business establishments targeted under the Economic Census 2026 in Sabah have been enumerated, Assistant Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Dr Jonnybone J. Kurum said.
He said the data collected through the census would strengthen the implementation of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 roadmap by providing accurate and up-to-date information for development planning.
“The success of SMJ 2.0 depends on the availability of complete, accurate and current data. The Economic Census 2026 is one of the most important sources of information to support the planning, implementation and monitoring of the SMJ 2.0 agenda.
“The data will also help the Government better understand the current economic landscape, identify high-growth sectors and formulate more sustainable and inclusive development strategies,” he said Thursday.
Jonnybone said the quality data would support the State Government's target of achieving a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than RM100 billion by 2030.
He said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Sabah had completed the enumeration of more than 60 per cent of the approximately 90,000 establishments targeted in the services, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining and quarrying sectors.
According to him, Phase One, involving micro enterprises, was carried out from January to March, while Phases Two and Three, covering large, medium and small establishments, are being conducted from April to September this year.
Jonnybone urged the business community and professional bodies to continue giving their full cooperation as DOSM's strategic partners to ensure a high response rate.
He also assured respondents that all information provided would remain confidential and protected under the law.
Also present were Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin and Sabah Department of Statistics Malaysia Director Khairolnizam Hassan.