WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1978
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+THE DATA COLLECTED WILL HELP US TO IMPROVE OUR ESTIMATES OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT. IT WILL RESULT IN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE SERVICE INDUSTRIES AND THE IR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CURRENT ACCOUNT FLOWS IN THE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS, HE SAID.
THE SURVEY WOULD COVER A SAMPLE OF SOME 2,000 ESTABLISHMENTS. COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE RETURNED TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT BY JUNE 30, 1979.
J
ON THE SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FOR 1978, MR. JEAFFRESON POINTED OUT IT WOULD CONTINUE THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRIES ENGAGED IN MANUFACTURING, MINING, QUARRYING AND THE SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY, GAS AND WATER.
THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF THESE INDUSTRIES WAS IN 1974 BASED ON INFORMATION RELATING TO 1973.
IT WAS A BENCHMARK SURVEY DESIGNED TO COLLECT INFORMATION PARTICULARLY ON THOSE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDUSTRIES THAT WERE UNLIKELY TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE SHORT TERM.
EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS HAD CONDUCTED ANNUAL BUT LESS COMPREHENSIVE SURVEYS SEEKING INFORMATION ON THE ELEMENTS THAT DID CHANGE QUICKLY TO PROVIDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THE INDUSTRIES.
BUT EVERY FIVE YEARS HE MUST BRING THE BENCHMARK INFORMATION UP-TO-DATE. SO THE ORDER BEFORE TODAY'S LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS FOR ANOTHER BENCHMARK SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION.
MR. JEAFFRESON CONTINUED TO POINT OUT THE SURVEY WAS AIMED AT OBTAINING DATA FOR:
* ASSESSING STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRIES CONCERNED-
* COMPILING SUCH INDICATORS AS AN INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL
PRODUCTION=
*
PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION MADE TO THE COMMUNITY'S EARNINGS BY THESE INDUSTRIESTM
* ASSESSING SECULAR CHANGES IN THEM AND USING THE RESULTS
TOWARDS DETERMINING CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE- AND
* DEVELOPING PUBLIC POLICY TOWARDS THE INDUSTRIES AS
NECESSARY.
HE SAID THE SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION 1978 WOULD COVER A SAMPLE OF SOME 15,000 ESTABLISHMENTS OUT OF 42,000.
COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE RETURNED TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT BY JUNE 30, 1979, HE ADDED.
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