Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Department for Structural Business Statistics

Zelenih beretki 26, 71 000 - Sarajevo

Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors). SBS covers all activities of the business economy with the exception of agricultural activities, public administration and (largely) non-market services such as education and health. Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:

• Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of active enterprises)

• "Output related" variables (e.g. Net turnover, Value added)

• "Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Number of employees and self-employed persons, Hours worked by employees); goods and services input (e.g. Purchases of goods and services); capital input (e.g. Gross investments).

Business services statistics (BS) collection contains harmonised statistics on business services. From 2008 onwards BS become part of the regular mandatory annual data collection of SBS. The BS’s data requirement includes variable “Turnover” broken down by products and by type of residence of client. 

The annual regional statistics collection includes three characteristics due by NUTS-2 country region and detailed on NACE Rev 2 division level (2-digits). 

Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE):  NACE Rev.2 is used from 2008 onwards. Key data were double reported in NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2 only for 2008. From 2002 to 2007 NACE Rev. 1.1 was used and until 2001 NACE Rev.1

The regional breakdown of the EU Member States is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). 

The product breakdown is based on the Classification of Products by Activity (CPA) as stated in the Regulation establishing CPA 2008 and its amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 1209/2014 (from reference year 2015 onwards).

• BiH Classification of Activities 2010 - KD BiH 2010 (harmonized with NACE Rev.2)
• Classification of products by activity - KPPD BiH 2016 (harmonized with EU CPA version 2.1)

Starting reference year 2021 onwards SBS cover the economic activities of market producers within the NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96.
Until 2007 the SBS coverage was limited to Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1.1 and from the reference year 2008 to 2020 data was available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2.

From 2008 reference year the data collection Business services covers NACE Rev 2 codes: J62, N78, J582, J631, M731, M691, M692, M702, M712, M732, M7111, and M7112.
From 2013, as the first reference year, to 2020 information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.

The production of SBS for section K has not yet been implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

SBS constitutes an important and integrated part of the new European Business Statistics Regulation N° 2152/2019.

Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are defined in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.

Enterprises=legal units (legal and natural persons)

The SBS covers active enterprises (legal and natural persons) in the reference year from the Statistical Business Register which are classified by main activity in the following sections: B - Mining and Quarrying, C - Manufacturing, D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, E - Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, F - Construction, G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, H - Transportation and storage, I - Accommodation and food service activities (Hotels and restaurants), J - Information and communication, L - Real estate activities, M - Professional, scientific and technical activities, N - Administrative and support service activities, P - Education (private sector), Q - Human health and social work activities (private sector), R - Arts, entertainment and recreation (private sector) and S - Other service activities, except 94 - Activities of membership organizations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Regular production since 2010, considering that the coverage was being extended in line with the requirements of EU SBS Regulation 295/2008. Since 2014, the coverage has been extended to entrepreneurs (natural persons). In that way, coverage is in line with the requirements of the EU SBS Regulation.

Since 2017, the method of production SBS data is changed.

Not applicable.

• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.

• Monetary data are expressed in thousands of convertible KM.

• Employment variables are expressed in units.

• Per head values are expressed in KM per head. 

Ratios are expressed in percentages.

2021

The reference period is a calendar year.

Starting with reference year 2021 two new regulations currently form the legal basis of SBS:

• Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (EBS Regulation), and
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements (general implementing act) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152

Year 1995 was the first year for the implementation of the Council Regulation No 58/97 (SBS Regulation).

The Council Regulation No 58/97 has been amended three times: by Council Regulation No 410/98, Commission Regulation No 1614/2002 and European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2056/2002. As a new amendment of the basic Regulation it was decided to recast the Regulation No 58/97 in order to obtain a new "clean" legal text. In 2008 the European Parliament and Council adopted Regulation No 295/2008 and the provisions of this Regulation were applicable from the reference year 2008 to reference year 2020. Regulation No 295/2008 was amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 446/2014.

Law on Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Four-year Multiannual statistical program and Annual work plan of the Agency for Statistics of BiH; Agreement on implementation of harmonized methodologies and standards signed by statistical institutions in BiH.

Not applicable.

The confidentiality of statistical data is regulated by law and the staff conducting statistical survey has the same legal obligation to protect confidentiality. The Law on Statistics of BiH (Official Gazette of BIH 26/04 and 42/04 - Chapter XI - Article 23-29) establishes the principle of confidentiality as one of the main principles. The Agency for Statistics distributes statistics in accordance with the statistical principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and in particular with the principle of statistical confidentiality.

The document "Rulebook on the protection of statistical data in the Agency for Statistics" specifies procedures for ensuring confidentiality during collection, processing and dissemination - including protocols for ensuring access to individual data, rules for defining confidential cells in output tables and procedures for disclosure and prevention of subsequent disclosure, such as and access to microdata for research purposes. By signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, data users who have access to individual data are obliged to: treat individual anonymous data as confidential in accordance with rules, regulations and procedures, ensure appropriate protection of individual data in accordance with rules, regulations and procedures , protect the transfer of microdata and destroy the medium on which the data are located, as well as the accompanying documentation, five days after the publication of the results.

At the end of December each year, Agency for Statistics publishes a Release calendar with the exact date and time of publication of statistics for the following year.

https://bhas.gov.ba/Calendar/?lang=en

The principle that all users have equal access to statistical data on an impartial basis is set out in Article 8, paragraph 2, point h, and Article 19 paragraph 2 of the Law on Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Agency for Statistics of BiH consistently implements it in practice.

Annual.

Annual release “Structural business statistics - preliminary results 2021”

https://bhas.gov.ba/data/Publikacije/Saopstenja/2022/SBS_01_2021_Y1_0_BS.pdf

Thematic bulletin “Structural business statistics 2021”

Thematic bulletin is available in three official languages and in English.

https://bhas.gov.ba/data/Publikacije/Bilteni/2023/SBS_00_2021_TB_1_EN.pdf

Online database is available in Excel format.

https://bhas.gov.ba/data/Publikacije/VremenskeSerije/SBS_01.xlsx

Microdata are not available.

Data are transmitted to Eurostat, either to be used in European aggregates or to be released also as national data.

Notes on methodology in publications - First release, Thematic bulletin

The methodological document "Structural business statistics 2017" is available in three official languages (but not in English).

https://bhas.gov.ba/data/Publikacije/Metodologije/SBS_00_2017_MD_0_BS.pdf

The national quality report is prepared and published every year on the official website of Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The national quality report is available in the local language and in English.

BHAS follows the recommendations on organization and quality management provided in the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) and implements the guidelines given in the European Statistical System Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). More details in terms of quality assurance and all procedures that describe the quality policy in BHAS can be found in the document: Policy and programme of the quality management in BHAS.       

http://bhas.gov.ba/data/Dokumenti/Kvalitet/QM_Policy_and_Programme_BHAS.pdf

The quality of official statistics products (main indicators / statistics) is regularly assessed in quality reports by calculating quality indicators.On the other hand, the processes involved in statistical production are assessed by specific process quality indicators in the quality reports and additionally through the GSBPM documentation.

Internal users:
Statistical Business Register - updated with feedback information from the survey
Short-term business statistics - for weighting and structure defining
Inward FATS - produced based on SBS data

External users:  
Eurostat, international institutions
ministries and administrative bodies
researchers, journalists and business entities

One of the key elements in ensuring the quality of statistical data is monitoring user satisfaction. There is no separate user satisfaction survey for SBS.

The results of the user satisfaction survey (not in English) for all statistical domains are available on the website:https://bhas.gov.ba/data/Dokumenti/Kvalitet/AZK2020_BS.pdf

Annual structural business statistics by economic activities, by size class of employment and by activity are transmitted to Eurostat. The rate of data completeness is 100%.

The development of variables for missing data series is planned. These data will be transmitted to Eurostat.

Overall accuracy is considered very good. The accuracy of the data is checked by applying the prescribed methodology, controls, as well as by comparing the data with the data from the previous year or data from other statistical surveys and additional analyses.

It is not possible to calculate sampling errors because the production of structural business statistics is not based on a random sample.

Data for the compilation of Structural business variables and indicators are collected through statistical survey “Annual structural business statistical survey for enterprises” with 20 and more persons employed and for other enterprises the data are obtained from administrative and other data sources of the entities and Brcko District. Variables for entrepreneurs are estimated on the basis of data on the employment of entrepreneurs, which are taken from the Statistical Business Register and SBS data for enterprises.

There is no accurate information on coverage errors, but we assume that coverage errors are very low.

If applying computing and logical controls leads to the detection of errors on data obtained from the survey, the errors are corrected through contact with the reporting unit or by using the other statistical surveys. After that, the statistical analysis of variables and indicators is performed, which results in determining extreme values (outliers), which are listed and checked. The most important instrument for reducing errors in the data derived from the survey is precise and understandable methodological explanations. For this reason, instructions for completing the questionnaire are sent to each reporting unit that describes in detail how to complete the questionnaire. In case an additional explanation is needed, the letter to the reporting units contains the contact details of the person in charge of the survey, which each reporting unit can contact.

If the responses on certain questions are missing for the reporting units included in the survey, contact with the reporting unit will be established again, and if necessary, the missing values will be supplemented. If the contact with the reporting unit is not established, data are corrected on the basis of data from the annual financial statements, data for the previous year or other statistical surveys. Data that originate from administrative and other sources are controlled and edited.

The preliminary results are published 11 months after the reference period and the final 18 months after the reference period.

The data were published in accordance with the Release calendar and transmitted to Eurostat on time.

Structural business statistics for Bosnia and Herzegovina are produced by application of the same statistical concepts in the entire national territory. The methodology and the definition of variables and indicators are harmonized with the EU, which creates the possibility of comparing SBS data with data from other countries.

Data on Structural Business Statistics are not comparable over the years due to the expansion of coverage of activities, the inclusion of entrepreneurs and changes in data production methods. Data for 2012 and 2013 are not comparable to data for 2010 and 2011 due to the difference in scope of activities. There was a break in time series in 2014 when entrepreneurs were included and in 2017 when the method of data production was changed and coverage was extended to the private sector from section R.

Structural business statistics data are compared to data from other statistics, such as national accounts data, PRODCOM statistics, employment statistics, etc.

In the macro editing phase and the analysis of results, a comparison of the selected variables with the national accounts is made, taking into account different concepts and definitions. In the case of significant differences, the data is further checked.

The variables are fully coherent depending on the level of aggregation by activity and classes (group, division, special aggregates and total).

In order to rationalize the production of structural business statistics and reduction of response burden, available administrative and other data sources of entities and Brcko District are used since 2017 for enterprises with less than 20 persons employed. The change of production method has led to the reduction of production costs as well as the response burden of reporting units.

The Agency for Statistics of BiH currently does not have an official document related to the audit policy.

Structural business statistics data are published two times per year, as preliminary and final data. There is no revision of the final data.

Structural business statistics data of enterprises and entrepreneurs are the result of combinations of many data sources, such as: survey for enterprises with 20 and more persons employed, administrative and other data sources of entities and Brcko District for other enterprises.  For Republika Srpska and Brcko District, data are obtained from annual financial statements, while for Federation of BiH data are obtained from Statistical annex of the annual financial statements. Data for entrepreneurs are estimated.

Annual data collection.

For enterprises with 20 and more persons employed, data are collected by the questionnaire “Annual structural business statistical survey for enterprises”. A detailed questionnaire is created for enterprises with 20 and more persons employed. In the annual survey for Structural business statistics, four main questionnaires are used. In addition to the main questionnaires, the additional questionnaires were created for industry and construction, which are used for data collection for units by kind of activity. Administrative and other sources taken for the purpose of calculation of SBS variables for other enterprises are as follows:

-Financial statements in Republika Srpska and Brcko District (Balance sheet and Income statement)

-Statistical annex of annual financial statement in Federation of BiH

-Annual report on investments for SBS variables on investments for all enterprises.

Entry, control and editing of data is performed by entities statistical institutions and Branch office of the Agency in Brcko District.
The application for data entry that is unique to all three statistical institutions has got (built inn) a set of controls for checking the completeness, accuracy and logics of the data at the level of primary subject. Errors are corrected through the contact with the reporting unit or by using some other source. After that, the statistical analysis of variables and indicators is performed, through which the extreme values are established (outliers) that are then listed and verified. To determine outliers, the following indicators are used: turnover per person employed, value added per person employed, labor costs per employee, share of gross operating surplus in turnover and share of value added in production value. Administrative and other data are controlled by logical and computing controls. After that, data editing is done. Also, data validation within the series, in time and between the series is done before data transmission to Eurostat, for the purpose of detection of inconsistent data using EDAMIS Acceptance application.

Variables for enterprises with 20 and more persons employed are calculated based on data collected by the SBS survey, and for other enterprises, the variables are calculated on the basis of data from administrative and other sources of entities and Brcko District. Special formulas are applied for the calculation of SBS variables, depending on the data source.

Investment variables for all enterprises are calculated based on data from the survey “Annual report on investments”.

Variables for entrepreneurs are estimated based on employment data for entrepreneurs, which are obtained from Statistical business register and SBS data for enterprises.
Estimation of variables for entrepreneurs is done by regression method. Two coefficients are used: coefficient of number of persons employed and the other coefficient is the number of employees. Coefficients are calculated on the group level and by classes of employment. Variables for entrepreneurs are calculated by multiplying the calculated coefficients with enterprise variables on the group level and by classes of employment. Coefficient of number of employees is used for estimation of personnel costs, while for other variables the coefficient of number of persons employed is used.
Variables for entrepreneurs are added to the variables of the enterprises. In that way, structural business statistics variables of enterprises and entrepreneurs are obtained.

Seasonal adjustment is not applied in structural business statistics.

No further comments.