Quarterly Business Receipts Indices for Service Industries for the Third Quarter of 2006
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    Business receipts in value terms of almost all surveyed service industries increased in the third quarter of 2006 over a year earlier, according to the provisional business receipts indices released today (December 12) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD).

     Compared with the same period a year earlier, business receipts of the financing (except banking) and business services industries for the third quarter of 2006 increased by 25.8% and 22.9% respectively.

     The increase in business receipts of the financing (except banking) industry was mainly fuelled by the buoyant local stock market, while that of the business services industry was mainly attributable to the growth in information technology related services.

     Other service industries that recorded more notable increases in business receipts included the hotels (+14.4%), insurance (+14.2%), banking (+11.5%) and import and export trade (+10.8%).

     Analysed by service domain, comparing the third quarter of 2006 with the same quarter a year earlier, business receipts of the computer and information services domain increased by 21.1%.  Business receipts of the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain also increased by 11.6%, mainly attributable to the growth in inbound tourism.  

     Comparing the third quarter of 2006 with the second quarter of 2006, and bearing in mind that this comparison might be affected by seasonal factors, business receipts of most service industries increased.  Larger increases were observed in the import and export trade (+12.5%), transport (+10.5%) and storage (+9.7%) industries.  

     Table 1 presents provisional business receipts indices for service industries and service domains for the third quarter of 2006, while Table 2 shows the time series of the business receipts indices for the recent five quarters.

     Data for compiling the business receipts indices are mainly from the Quarterly Survey of Service Industries conducted by the C&SD, supplemented by relevant data provided by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

     A service domain differs from a service industry in that it comprises those economic activities straddling different industries but are somehow related to a common theme.  It may include all activities carried out by all establishments in a service industry that is closely related to the domain.  For a service industry that is less closely related, however, only a portion of the establishments in the industry or even only part of the economic activities of the establishments is related to the domain.  Taking tourism as an example, it includes all activities of all hotels and travel agents; and some (those involving visitors as customers) but not all of the activities of restaurants, retailers and transport operators.

     Details on the compilation method of the business receipts indices are given in the report "Quarterly Business Receipts Indices for Service Industries, Third Quarter 2006".

     The publication is now available for downloading (in PDF format) free of charge at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk).  The print version of the publication can be purchased in the following ways:

(i)  Purchase in person at the Publications Unit of the C&SD (Address: 19/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel: 2582 3025) at HK$11 per copy.
(ii) Complete a mail order form which is available for downloading from the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/other_services/provision_of_stat/mail_ordering_of_publications/index.jsp) and return it to C&SD.   Price (excluding postage) is the same as above.
(iii)Purchase online at the Statistical Bookstore or the Government Bookstore of the Information Services Department (www.isd.gov.hk/eng/bookorder.htm).  Print versions if purchased online are offered a discount and are sold at 85% of their original prices.  After discount, the price (excluding postage) of the publication is HK$9.4 per copy.

     Enquiries about survey results can be directed to the Business Services Statistics Section of the C&SD at telephone number 2802 1269 or email address business-receipts@censtatd.gov.hk.

Ends/Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:15

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