Trade in Services Statistics Developments in New Zealand Shirley Nesbit Statistics New Zealand for OECD-EUROSTAT MEETING OF EXPERTS IN TRADE-IN- SERVICES STATISTICS (TIS) April 2004

Overview Background  Increasing importance of trade in services “Other Services” project:  Current methodology  Project overview  Feasibility study  Population study Other trade in services developments  Travel debits  BoP quality plan Questions/feedback

Trade in services - increasing importance

Current methodology - “other services” Periodic benchmark census of “other services” transactors , 1992, 1999, 2005 Quarterly Survey of International Trade in Services and Royalties + non-sampled estimate Population maintenance  Business frame update survey - selected enterprises - in past 12 months, revenue/expenditure over $20,000 from overseas located enterprise(s) or individual(s), for services?  Enterprises identified through media reports, etc  => Annual update survey('births' survey)

Objectives of “Other Services” project Update census benchmark, undercoverage estimate. Research “issues”. Better meet needs of policy agencies. Improve compliance with eg trade in services manual. Update quarterly sample. Investigate alternative means of collecting data that may reduce respondent burden, e.g. the use of administrative tax data.

Feasibility study Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) - need for W120 by modes of supply by country as per Trade in Services manual. Concept testing (March-April 2004)  interview to probe respondents' record keeping systems - what data is available, how easy to supply in the forms specified in the Manual.  relatively easy to identify revenue (service exports) by country and type of service  some use zero rated GST returns to identify exports  less easy to categorise expenditure (service imports)  larger existing respondents compile data specifically for Statistics NZ.  W120 feasibility depended on what data stored in systems, load varies widely  much more difficult to identify value by modes of supply Cognitive testing (May-June 2004)  test updated collection instrument

Population study Update population: use of (administrative) GST “zero rated sales” and other sources to identify possible ex/importers of services. Examine relationship between zero rated GST returns and exports of services in the services survey. Potential use of zero rated GST to:  update the quarterly survey population  replace/extend surveyed data in quarterly survey

Zero rated GST supplies Zero-rated supplies are certain taxable supplies that are taxed at the rate of 0% rather than at the standard rate.These include:  the sale of a "going concern”  exported goods  duty-free goods  goods not in New Zealand at the time of supply  temporary imports  transport of passengers and goods to and from New Zealand  certain exported services  the first sale by a refiner of pure gold, silver, or platinum to a dealer in fine metal for investment purposes

Other developments - travel debits Updating benchmark estimate to reflect current expenditure patterns NZ travellers  Survey of Returned Travellers September June 2004 quarter  Expenditure by purpose (business, personal) by method of payment (credit card, other card, travellers cheque, cash, other) by country  Results for first year to be published soon Quarterly estimation methodology using current expenditure information, including:  Survey of Debit Transactions = Overseas purchases and cash withdrawals by New Zealand residents, using New Zealand bank accounts  Survey of outward bound tour operators expenditure on prepaid overseas travel services by New Zealand residents from the survey of outward bound tour operators. Updated travel debits series with March 2005 quarter BoP.

Other developments - BoP quality plan Discussion document to be released in May 2004 on Prioritising BoP quality issues, unmet needs. Outcome = agreed BoP development plan.

Questions/feedback Comments? Questions? Advice?