The EU4Business SMEDA project in Armenia is supporting two international missions to improve SME statistics in Armenia and bring them into line with international and EU standards, while scaling up the capacities of the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia (NSSRA).
The two missions – with Lithuanian and Danish experts – have worked with the respective NSSRA staff to reveal where the agency stands on 1) SME statistics and estimation of GDP or GVA by size; and 2) statistics on structural business and indicators on sole proprietorships.
The experts presented the experience and methodologies from their home countries to collect and analyse statistics and relevant indicators, and discussed ways, data sources and options with local experts for how the NSSRA could estimate the relevant statistics. The information gathered and findings will be analysed by the experts, who will produce reports with proposed actions, criteria and recommendations for the NSSRA as a result of these two missions.
The improvement of SME statistics is one of the key activities of SMEDA for 2018 and follow-up missions and studies are envisaged further on, building up to a more accurate information on SMEs, increased number of SME indicators and general awareness about the state of the SME sector and its contribution to the Armenian economy.
The EU4Business SMEDA project supports the improvement of the business and investment climate for SMEs in Armenia. It aims to strengthen the private sector, support SME coordination mechanisms, and foster links between research institutions and the private sector, as well as providing access to finance for SMEs.