Towards an Integrated Economic
Statistics Program :
The Experience of Hong Kong, China
Frederick W.H. Ho
Commissioner for Census & Statistics
Hong Kong, China
International Workshop on Economic Census
26 – 29 July 2005
Beijing, China
1

1.
Purposes/uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program (IESP)
2.
Components of an IESP
3.
Features of an IESP
4.
Achieving an IESP
2

Purposes/Uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program
(a) Economic analysis

Enabling macro-economic and micro-economic analysis

Performance of the overall economy, the external sector, the domestic sector, the financial sector, the labour sector and prices
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Purposes/Uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program
(b) Macro-level policy formulation and decision

Identifying and consolidating key industries

Developing strategic arrangements with partner economies

Assisting new industries
4

Purposes/Uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program
(c) Determining sectoral development

Developing strategies for developments in specific economic sectors

Sectoral productivity studies
5

Purposes/Uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program
(d) Business studies

Profitable lines of business

Appropriate mix of products

Optimun level of operation

Benechmaking

Firm level productivity studies

Marketing strategies

Investment decisions
6

Purposes/Uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program
(e) For the Statistical Authority: an aid to data quality control

Achieving consistency of statistics from different statistical systems/programs

Identifying data problems where inconsistencies exist (or appear to exist)
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Purposes/Uses of an Integrated
Economic Statistics Program
(f) For the Statistical Authority: facilitating coherence of statistical development
 Users’ needs better met overall

More efficient use of statistical resources
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Components of an IESP
(a) Trade Statistics System

Based on trade declarations and cargo manifests submitted to
Customs Authority

Value, volume, prices

Origin and destination of goods
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Components of an IESP
(b) National accounts/BoP/Monetary statistics system

Banking and monetary statistics derived from administrative records

GDP/GNP/BoP statistical systems based on data from different economic surveys/statistical systems and other sources
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Components of an IESP
(c) Economic census/survey program

Annual economic censuses/surveys

Sub-annual economic surveys

Co-ordinated approach in the development of annual and subannual economic surveys
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Components of an IESP
(d) Prices

Consumer price indices from monthly Price
Survey

Producer price indices from Quarterly
Survey of Industrial Production and
Quarterly Survey of Services Industries

Import/export unit value indices and terms of trade from Trade Statistics System

GDP deflator from national accounts statistical system
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Components of an IESP
(e) Closely associated programs

Labour Statistics Program

Population and Demographic
Statistics Program
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Features of an IESP
(a) Basic design

Component systems operated in accordance with recommendations of International
Organizations
(b) Definitions

Harmonization of definitions where standardization cannot be achieved
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Features of an IESP
(c) Classifications
 Common classification used as far as possible (e.g. Hong Kong
Standard Industrial Classification)
 Statistics compiled based on alternative classifications to meet specific user needs (e.g. the electronics industry)
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Features of an IESP
(d) Data Sources

Administrative records

Economic censuses/surveys
(e) Geographical demarcations

Enabling the building block approach where different demarcations are desired by different user groups
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Features of an IESP
(f) Interlocking nature of component systems

Each system produces output data which may be used by both final data users and some other systems as input data
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Achieving an IESP
(a) Well co-ordinated statistical institutions
(b) Good communication with potential users and raw data suppliers
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Achieving an IESP
(c) Close communication with
International Orgainzations

Understanding and adopting current standards

Contributing to the establishment and evolution of standards
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Achieving an IESP
(d) Dual approach

Bottom-up approach : reconciling existing systems

Top-down approach : conceiving an ideal overall program and bringing down to earth a realistic blue-print which features a balanced program
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Achieving an IESP
(e) Priorities consideration

Constraints in financial resources and technical resources
 Survey respondents’ burden
 Don’t be over-ambitious : should consider the capacity of component systems carefully
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