XN000022-1996-05-27 — Page 11

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Mr Ho also pointed out that audited accounts are not essential for the supply of income and expenditure data required in the surveys.

The Census and Statistics Department accepts figures based on preliminary accounts or estimates which are correct to the best of the respondents' knowledge at the time of submission of the questionnaire, if audited accounts are not yet available. About 14,200 establishments will be enumerated in the three surveys.

The Survey of Wholesale, Retail and Import and Export Trades, Restaurants and Hotels covers wholesale, retail, import and export trades, restaurants, hotels and boarding houses.

The Survey of Transport and Related Services covers land, sea and air transport services, such as public buses, tramways, taxis, public light buses, trucks, ferries, shipping companies and airlines.

It also covers such transport-related services as those provided by car parks, travel agents and cargo forwarding agents.

On the other hand, the Survey of Storage, Communication, Financing, Insurance and Business Services covers storage and warehouse, communications, financing (except licensed banks, restricted licence banks, deposit-taking companies and representative offices of foreign banks), insurance and business services such as accounting and auditing, advertising, data processing, employment agency, equipment and machinery rental, legal, news agency, secretarial and other business services.

In general, information to be sought in the surveys include type of ownership, origin of investment, floor area, employment, compensation of employees (i.e. wages, salaries and other employee benefits), operating expenses, business receipts, capital expenditure and other related information on the business operation of the establishments.

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The surveys are conducted under the Census and Statistics (Annual Survey of Wholesale and Retail Trades, Restaurants and Hotels) (Amendment) Order 1995, the Census and Statistics (Annual Survey of Transport and Related Services) (Amendment) Order 1995 and the Census and Statistics (Annual Survey of Storage, Communication, Financing, Insurance and Business Services) (Amendment) Order 1995 respectively, which were made under the Census and Statistics Ordinance and issued as Legal Notice Nos 78, 79 and 80 in the Hong Kong Government Gazette on February 17, 1995.

Survey questionnaires have been mailed to the sampled establishments which are required by law to complete and return the questionnaires to the Census and Statistics Department by July 31.