General instruction for filling in information about foreign trade in services

Transcription

1 Instructions Annual inquiry on foreign trade in services The annual inquiry on foreign trade in services asks for information about your enterprise s exports and imports by service. The inquiry is statutory by virtue of the Statistics Act (280/2004). Production of the statistics on foreign trade in services in decreed in Regulation 184/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Data on foreign trade in services is used in the compiling of balance of payments and national accounts statistics and in the production of annual statistics on foreign trade in services. Completion and returning of the inquiry The inquiry should be responded to by 5th of March. Replies to the inquiry are submitted electronically. The Internet address of the electronic questionnaire is You will find your user ID and password for accessing it in the top right hand corner of the accompanying letter that was sent to you by post. The inquiry should be responded to by the enterprise stated in the top left hand corner of the accompanying letter. Figures should be reported at the accuracy of one euro. Other currencies should be converted to euro at the rate of the date when the transaction concerned took place. The reported figures should be exclusive of value added tax. If the data requested in the inquiry (e.g. breakdown by service or country) cannot be obtained from your bookkeeping, estimates can be used. For further information about the inquiry, please contact: Marjatta Tenhunen Aija Tiainen Jaakko Salmela firstname.lastname@stat.fi Frågor på svenska besvaras av Jaakko Salmela. General instruction for filling in information about foreign trade in services Information about foreign trade in services should be filled in by service. Services refer to products other than material commodities. Tourism and insurance services do not come under the scope of this inquiry, and the only items of transport services reported here are freight charges paid for road transports. Foreign trade in services takes place when an economic actor resident in Finland and an economic actor resident abroad conduct trade in services. In the export of services, an economic actor resident in Finland receives compensation for a service it has provided direct from an economic actor resident abroad, inclusive of related enterprises of the same group located abroad and in the import of services an economic actor resident in Finland pays for a service it has purchased direct to an economic actor resident abroad. Economic actors resident in Finland refer to economic actors whose economic activity is permanently concentrated in Finland and which have in Finland a facility, such as an establishment or production plant from which they practice the activity. The activity is considered as permanent if it has continued for at least twelve months. Other economic actors, including Finnish enterprises subsidiaries and

2 2 branches abroad are defined as non-residents. The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), organs of the European Union and other international organisations are classified as non-residents. Development co-operation projects funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by international organisations are reported according to the beneficiary country (target country of the project). The inquiry covers telecommunications services, construction services, financial services, computer and information services, other business services, and personal, cultural and recreational services. Definitions of these services can be found under the heading Definitions of services of this document. Some respondents are requested to provide information about services by country. The reported country should be the country of residence of the counterpart of a transaction. Foreign trade in services does not include foreign trade in goods, wages and salaries, profits or losses, or dividends or interests. An exception is the export of construction services, where expenditure on materials, and wages and salaries paid abroad should also be reported. Filling in the questionnaire Basic data Enter any changes in the contact details of your enterprise's contact person in the field "Additional information". The contact person s details should be precise to facilitate the checking of the information. The Additional information field is intended for information essentially related to the inquiry, if it is not evident from the responses entered on the form. Export of services abroad and import of services from abroad If your enterprise has answered the 2008 annual inquiry, your answer can be seen in the "Previous year" column. The column is empty if no data have been reported for this service item in the previous survey round. A pre-filled row need not be deleted from the questionnaire if there are no data concerning 2009 for the country code concerned. If a pre-filled row is deleted, information on it will be erased permanently from the form. When a country is selected from the "Add a country" menu, a value field opens into which the amount should be entered in euros. You can remove an erroneous value or country by first ticking the small box on the right and then clicking on the "Remove selected" button. After this you can continue filling in the form. It is advisable to click on "Save" often and at least after filling in data on each service item. This prevents data already filled in from being lost. Some data providers are not asked for the distribution by country and data on a service item should then be entered into the text field to the right of it. Save your data by clicking the "Save" button at the bottom of the form. Sending the form After you have filled in all the fields, click on Save. The data you have entered are sent directly to our database. Correcting data Data can be corrected later by first removing the wrong data. It is important to remember to save the corrected data.

3 3 Service items covered by the inquiry on foreign trade in services Freight charges for transport services (code 223M) This item comprises all compensations for transport of freight by road paid to non-resident economic actors. The usage of transport services may relate to both export and import of services and also to cabotage (use of non-resident transport companies in transports within the resident economy) and transit trade. This does not include freight charges of rail, waterway and air transport or passenger transports. Freight insurance and repairs of haulage equipment are not reported here, either. Communications services Postal services (code 958) Postal services comprise poste restante services, telegram services and post office counter services, such as sales of stamps, money orders, etc. Flows between operators in different economies should be recorded on a gross basis. Courier services (code 959) Courier services focus on express and door-to-door delivery. Couriers may use self-owned, private shared or public transportation to supply these services. Included are express delivery services which might include, for example, on-demand pick up or time-definite delivery. Telecommunications services (code 247) Telecommunications services comprise the transmission of sound, images or other data by telephone, telex, telegram, radio and television cable, and broadcasting, satellite, electronic mail, etc., including business network services, teleconferencing and support services. This item also includes cellular telephone services, Internet backbone services and online access services, including access to the Internet. The value of the transmitted data and installation services of telephone network equipment are not included in telecommunications services, but in construction services, codes 250 and 251. Construction services Construction services comprise construction abroad and construction in Finland. Construction abroad (code 250) Construction abroad comprises construction services provided to non-resident economic actors by enterprises resident in Finland (credit) and the goods and services purchased, and wages and salaries paid in the host economy by these enterprises (debit). Short-term construction and installation projects of less than 12 months duration are reported here. A construction or installation project may involve building, renovation, installation or demolition. All services that form an integral part of construction contracts are included here, such as site preparation work, construction of buildings, civil engineering, installation and assembly of machinery,

4 4 finishing of building exteriors and surroundings, and renting services of construction and demolition equipment with operator. Machinery rentals without personnel are not included in construction services but come under operational leasing (code 272), as also is work related to the preparation of an oil or gas field, which come under agricultural, mining and other on-site processing services (code 283) and soil decontamination which comes under waste treatment and depollution services (code 282). Of which: Expenditure on materials abroad The value of construction materials exported from Finland, the value of goods and services purchased for a project in the country of construction and the value of goods and services imported for a project to the country of construction are reported here. Of which: Expenditure on wages and salaries abroad Wages and salaries and other compensations of employees paid for work done on a project in the country of construction are reported under expenditure on wages and salaries abroad. Construction in Finland (code 251) Construction in Finland comprises construction services provided to enterprise resident in Finland by non-resident construction enterprises (debit). Short-term construction and installation projects of less than 12 months duration are reported here. One expense entry is made for construction in Finland, which comprises compensation paid to a non-resident enterprise for construction in Finland. The definition of construction in Finland is identical to that of construction abroad. Financial services (code 260) Financial services cover financial intermediation and auxiliary services, except those of life insurance enterprises and pension funds, which are included in life insurance and pension funding. Included are services provided in connection with transactions in financial instruments and other services related to financial activity, such as advisory, custody and asset management services. Financial services include commissions and fees (explicit and implicit), associated with financial transactions (such as loans and deposits, lines of credit, financial leasing, factoring, financial derivatives, placement of issues and clearing of payments) advisory services custody services portfolio management services corporate finance and venture capital services credit card and other credit granting services service fees related to the conversion of foreign currency explicit service fees implicit service fees; difference between median, and selling and buying rate credit rating assessments Financial intermediation services do not include interests on deposits, loans, financial leases and debt securities dividends pension insurance and other insurance services non-financial advisory services provided by banks gains and losses made in purchasing and selling of securities

5 5 Computer and information services Computer services (code 236) Computer services comprise hardware and software-related services, and data processing services. Included are hardware and software consultancy and implementation services, maintenance and repair of computers and peripheral equipment, disaster recovery services, provision of advice and assistance on matters related to the management of computer resources, analysis, design and programming of systems ready to use, including web page development and design, and technical consultancy related to software, development, production, supply and documentation of customised software, including operating systems made on order for specific users, systems maintenance and other support services, such as training provided as part of consultancy, data processing services, such as data entry, tabulation and processing on a time-share basis, web page hosting services, i.e. provision of server space on the Internet to host clients web pages, and computer facilities management. News agency services (code 889) News agency services comprise the provision of news, photographs and feature articles to the media. Other information provision services (code 890) Other information provision services include database services: database conception, data storage and dissemination of data and databases, including directories and mailing lists, both online and through magnetic, optical and or printed media and web search portals (search engine services to find Internet addresses for clients who input keyword queries). Also included are direct, non-bulk subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals, whether by mail, electronic transmission or other means. Royalties and licence fees Income from royalties and licences received from abroad is reported under export of services and expenses under import of services. Franchises and similar rights (code 891) Franchises and similar rights comprise international payments and receipts of franchising fees and royalties paid for the use of registered trademarks. Other royalties and licence fees (code 892) Included in this entry are international payments and receipts for the authorised use of intangible, non-produced, non-financial assets and proprietary rights, such as patents, copyrights, industrial processes and designs, and produced originals or prototypes, such as manuscripts, computer programs, cinematographic works and sound recordings. Merchanting and other trade-related services Merchanting (code 270) Merchanting is defined as the purchase of a good by an economic actor resident in Finland from a non-resident economic actor and the subsequent resale of the good to a resident of a third economy. During the process, the good does not enter or leave Finland.

6 6 The value of the merchanting is the difference between the purchase price and the resale price of the good. If the resale price is lower than the purchase price, negative export is recorded. Other trade-related services (code 271) Other trade-related services cover commissions on transactions in goods and services paid a) to resident merchants, commodity brokers, dealers and commission agents and b) to non-resident actors. Exporters of other trade-related services are enterprise that import products into Finland and receive s a fee for it from a non-resident economic actor. Import occurs when an enterprise resident in Finland pays to an enterprise resident abroad compensation for marketing and distributing its products abroad. Operational leasing services (code 272) Operational leasing services cover leasing (rental) and charter of ships, aircraft and transportation equipment, such as railway cars, containers and rigs without operators or crew. Included in also leasing of other goods. Excluded is financial leasing, the services related to which are entered under financial leasing services (code 260), rental of telecommunication lines (included in telecommunications services, 247), rental of facilities and real estate, and rental of cars. Miscellaneous business, professional and technical services Legal services (code 275) Legal services cover legal advisory and representation services in any legal, judicial and statutory procedures, drafting services of legal documentation and instruments, certification consultancy and escrow and settlement services. Accounting, auditing, bookkeeping and tax consultancy services (code 276) This item covers the recording of commercial transactions fro businesses and others, examination services of accounting records and financial statements, business tax planning and consulting and preparation of tax documents. Business and management consulting and public relations services (code 277) This item covers advisory, guidance and operational assistance services provided to businesses for business policy and strategy and the overall planning, structuring and control of an organisation. Included are management auditing, market management, human resources, production management and project management consulting, and advisory, guidance and operational services related to improving the image of the clients and their relations with institutions and the general public. Advertising, market research and pubic opinion polling (code 278) This item covers the design, creation and marketing of advertisements by advertising agencies, media placements, including the purchase and sale of advertising space, exhibition services provided by trade fairs, the promotion of products abroad, market research, telemarketing and public opinion polling on various issues.

7 7 Research and development (code 279) This item covers services that are transacted between residents and non-residents associated with basic research, applied research and experimental development of new products and processes. Research and development also extends to research related to the humanities and social sciences. Excluded is market research, which is covered by item 278, and technical research, which is included in architectural, engineering and other technical services (code 280). Architectural, engineering and other technical services (code 280) This item covers service transactions between resident and non-resident actors related to architectural design or urban and other development projects, such as dams, bridges, airports, or turnkey projects, project design and supervision, surveying, cartography, product testing and certification and technical inspection services. Waste treatment and depollution (code 282) Waste treatment and depollution includes the treatment of radioactive and other waste, stripping of contaminated soil, cleaning up of pollution including oil spills, restoration of mining sites, and decontamination and sanitation services. Also included are all other services that relate to the cleaning and restoring of the environment. Agricultural, mining and other on-site processing services (code 283) Comprises: a) agricultural services that are incidental to agriculture, such as the provision of agricultural machinery with crew, harvesting, treatment if crops, pest control, animal boarding, animal care and breeding services. Services in hunting, trapping, forestry and logging, and fishing are also included here. b) mining services provided at oil and gas fields, including drilling, derrick building, repair and dismantling services, and oil and gas well casing cementing. Services incidental to mineral prospecting and exploration, as well as mining engineering and geological surveying are also included here. c) other on-site processing services, which cover on-site processing of or work on goods that have been imported without change of ownership, processed but not re-exported to the country from which the goods were consigned (but are instead either sold in the processing economy or sold to a third economy) or vice versa. Other business services (code 284) Other business services comprise services transactions between resident and non-resident actors, such as the placement of personnel, security and investigative services, translation and interpretation, photographic services, building cleaning, real estate services to businesses and any other business services that cannot be classified to any of the business services listed above. The item also includes maintenance services other than those related to computers, transport equipment and buildings where the repaired goods do not cross the Finnish border.

8 8 Services between related enterprises, n.i.e. (code 285) This is a residual category, which covers payments between related enterprises for services that cannot be specifically classified to any other service item. It includes payments from branches, subsidiaries and associates to their parent enterprise or other related enterprises that represent contributions to the general management costs of the branches, subsidiaries and associates (for planning, organising and controlling) and also reimbursements of expenses settled direct by parent enterprises. Included are transactions between parent enterprises and their branches, subsidiaries and associates to cover overhead expenses. Personal, cultural and recreational services Audiovisual and related services (code 288) This item comprises services and associated fees related to the production of motion pictures (on film or videotape), radio and television programmes (live or on tape) and musical recordings, Included are receipts or payments for rentals, fees received by resident actors, producers, etc., for productions abroad (or by non-residents for work carried out in Finland), fees for distribution rights sold to the media for a limited number of showings in specified areas and access to encrypted television channels (such as cable services). Fees to actors, directors and producers involved with theatrical and musical productions, sporting events, circuses and other similar events and fees fro distribution rights (for television, radio and film) for these activities are also included here. Education services (code 895) This item comprises services supplied between resident and non-resident actors relating to education, such as correspondence courses and education via television or the Internet, as well s teachers, etc., who supply services direct in host economies. Health services (code 896) This item comprises services provided by doctors, nurses and paramedical and similar personnel, as well as laboratory and similar services, whether rendered remotely or on-site. Excluded is all expenditure by travellers on education and health (included in travel). Other personal, cultural and recreational services, n.i.e. (code 897) This is a residual category covering other personal, cultural and recreational services not included in education services and health services, e.g. museums, libraries, archives and other cultural, sports and leisure services.