Muscat – Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MoCIIP), in collaboration with National Centre for Statistics and Information, launched ‘Digital Economy’s Contribution to GDP Survey’ on Tuesday. Set to continue till May 2025, the survey aims to estimate the contribution of the digital economy to the country’s gross domestic product and evaluate the added value of the information and communications technology sector. It will also assess the contribution of digitally provided financial and insurance services.

The first of its kind, the survey will target establishments in various ICT sector activities – ranging from large to small businesses – as well as digitally provided financial and insurance services. It will involve a sample of approximately 1,300 establishments across all governorates using 2023 data as reference.

H E Dr Ali al Shidhani, Undersecretary in MoCIIP, highlighted the significance of the survey emphasising that it will provide essential indicators to gauge progress towards the objectives of the National Digital Economy Programme which aims to increase the digital economy’s contribution to GDP to 10% by 2040. The survey will offer policymakers and decision-makers accurate data to guide decisions based on systematic methodologies.

The survey’s results will enable comparisons – locally, regionally and internationally – of the digital economy’s contribution to GDP. Additionally, it will lay the foundation for reliable economic studies, providing researchers with vital statistics for academic and economic analysis.

H E Shidhani further explained that the survey will focus on key indicators, including the added value of ICT activities, employee numbers, spending on salaries and wages, operational expenses, investment in assets, and revenues.

Dr Yousef bin Mohammed al Riyami, Director General of National Statistics at National Centre for Statistics and Information, reassured participants that all data collected would remain confidential in accordance with the Statistics Law issued via Royal Decree No 55/2019. This law guarantees confidentiality of individual data, ensuring it is only published in aggregate form. No individual, governmental or non-governmental entity may access the data, nor can it be used for non-statistical purposes.

“We urge all targeted establishments to cooperate with the survey teams, as this project supports national goals to enhance the digital economy,” Riyami said.

The data collection process will employ three methods – telephone interviews via a dedicated contact centre, an online self-completion link for establishments to provide required data, and field visits.

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