Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has begun training supervisors and enumerators for the country’s first-ever Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT) survey.

The week-long training program, held at the New Sella Spot on King Harman Road in Freetown, started on March 4th and runs through March 8th, 2024.

Equipped with the knowledge and best practices for data collection, participants will play a crucial role in gathering information about informal trade transactions across Sierra Leone’s borders.

The ICBT survey aims to shed light on unrecorded economic activity taking place in Kambia, Karene, Falaba, Koinadugu, Kono, Kailahun, Kenema, and Pujehun border districts. These transactions, often involving residents and non-residents, bypass formal customs channels, making it difficult to assess their true impact on the national economy.

By collecting data on this previously unaccounted-for trade, Stats SL hopes to gain valuable insights into the informal sector and inform future national development strategies.