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5.9. An SBR is a means to an end rather than an end in itself. As such, it is a vital component of an integrated programme of economic surveys. The ultimate goal is the production of comprehensive, coherent and high-quality economic statistics. Figure 5.1 illustrates the various roles of an SBR. One of its important roles is to maintain and keep track of the changes in statistical units and their characteristics owing to real-life events (see section B.3). This is a continuous process of modification. The frequency of modification depends upon the update strategy of the SBR. In this respect, the SBR can be considered as a kind of “live register”, in which the composition of units changes constantly over time.[2]
Next: B.2. The statistical business register as the central sample frame
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[1] African Development Bank, Guidelines for Building Statistical Business Registers in Africa: Laying the Foundation for the Harmonization of Economic Statistics Programs (Tunis, 2014). Available from http://www.afdb.org/en/knowledge/publications/guidelines-for-building-statistical-business-registers-in-africa.
[2] Further details on the European experience in that respect can be found in Eurostat, Business Registers: Recommendations Manual.