XN000022-1982-07-27 — Page 5

TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1982

FACTS AND FIGURES THAT ARE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER

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FACTS AND FIGURES PUT OUT REGULARLY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ARE OF GREAT VALUE FOR BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY.

SUCH INFORMATION AS MARKET SIZE, CONSUMER SPENDING, LIFE STYLE CHANGES AND TRADING FIGURES ARE VERY MUCH SOUGHT AFTER BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY.

AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, EXPLAINED MR COLIN GREENFIELD, COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, IT USES THE DATA IN FORMULATING AND MONITORING POLICY AND LONG-TERM PLANNING DECISIONS.

SPEAKING THE OTHER DAY OF THE WORK CARRIED OUT BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, MR GREENFIELD POINTED OUT THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF BUSINESS ARE OFTEN SO ANXIOUS TO OBTAIN THE STATISTICAL INFORMATION THAT THEY GO TO THE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK UP THE DATA BEFORE IT IS RELEASED IN THE PRINTED FORM.

+THERE IS, OF COURSE, A GAP BETWEEN THE TIME WHEN THE INFORMATION IS GATHERED AND COLLATED, AND THE TIME IT IS PRINTED, SO THIS EXPLAINS WHY PEOPLE WHO WANT THE INFORMATION IN A HURRY COME TO THE DEPARTMENT,+ HE SAID. TO COPE WITH THE NEEDS FOR TIMELY DATA, SUMMARY STATISTICS ARE SOMETIMES PUBLISHED AHEAD OF DETAILED STATISTICS,

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1967, COMBINING THE WORK OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICAL PLANNING OFFICE AND THE STATISTICAL UNIT OF THE FORMER COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT. IT NOW HAS 24 OTHER STATISTICAL SECTIONS SET UP IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.

IT HAS BEEN CONDUCTING LARGE-SCALE BENCHMARK CENSUSES EVERY FIVE YEARS ON EACH OF HONG KONG'S FIVE MAJOR ECONOMIC SECTORS, WITH SMALL-SCALE ANNUAL FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS TO UPDATE THE INFORMATION, MR GREENFIELD EXPLAINED.

THE FIVE ECONOMIC SECTORS ARE: MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY; WHOLESALE AND RETAIL: CONSTRUCTION; FINANCE, BUSINESS AND

INSURANCE SERVICES; AND TRANSPORT.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO UNDERTAKEN POPULATION CENSUSES EVERY FIVE YEARS: THE LATEST ONE WAS CARRIED OUT IN MARCH 1981.

STATISTICAL DATA ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN CATEGORIES - ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL, AND ARE GATHERED MAINLY FROM SPECIALLY DESIGNED CENSUSES OR SAMPLE SURVEYS AND ALSO FROM ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

EXAMPLES OF ECONOMIC STATISTICS ARE THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS, CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT AND THE CONSUMER PRICE INDICES, WHEREAS SOCIAL STATISTICS INCLUDE SUCH THINGS AS POPULATION, CRIME, BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES.

IN THE LOCIAL