3 Sep 2012

Groundwork for 2012 Economic Census of American Samoa begins

3:58 am on 3 September 2012

Officials from the US Census Bureau are in American Samoa to lay the groundwork for the 2012 Economic Census of American Samoa, the third one for the territory.

The Chief Economic Census Branch, Lee Wentela, says local businesses have always been cooperative with the census with a 90% turn in rate of census questionnaires in the last economic census.

He says this is a much better rate than in the mainland.

Mr Wentela there are a number of items they are seeking from local businesses.

"Such as the sales and the payroll, which are sort of the mainstream things but we also have capital expenditures and information about who their customers are and whether or not they have operating expenses and what they are and that kind of thing."

Lee Wentela from the US Census Bureau.

The survey forms for the census will be mailed out to all businesses with paid employees from October to December of this year and the cut off date to return them is February of next year.