Staff of the Armenian National Statistical Service have taken part in a study tour to Denmark, organised by the EU4Business SMEDA (Support to SME Development in Armenia) project.
The visit follows four expert missions on SME statistics organised by EU-SMEDA, aiming at enhancing the capacities of the National Statistical Service.
The key topics discussed and observed in Denmark were:
- information sources for the maintenance of SME statistics;
- feasibility of selecting criteria for the maintenance of SME statistics;
- the framework for the maintenance of SME statistics: segmentation of information on economic entities (what types of economic activity should be included in SME statistics);
- identification of the main activity type and location of the main activity of SME units;
- calculation of the value added for SME units;
- sources of receiving information on SME units belonging to the same economic unit (affiliated);
- mechanisms to identify an affiliation between SME units;
- peculiarities of the maintenance of SME demography in EU countries.
The visiting Armenian statisticians were also introduced to the experience and practice of the Danish Statistical Service in the collection, compilation and publication of SME statistics according to EUROSTAT and OECD standards.
Building on the four expert missions, the study tour enabled the Armenian National Statistical Service to get the required and up to date know how and methods, enabling them to produce and publish high quality and accurate SME statistics with various sub-sectoral analyses to be widely used by stakeholders and SMEs in Armenia.
The EU4Business SMEDA (Support to SME Development in Armenia) 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.