The storage, communications, financing, business services, insurance and banking industries' total receipts rose 15% over 2004, to $748.6 billion last year. The storage industry's total receipts rose 22%, mainly due to the growth in import and export trades.

Results of two Census & Statistics Department's surveys showed total receipts of the insurance and financing industries grew 19% and 17%, mainly attributable to the buoyant local stock market and the sustained growth in life insurance business. Total receipts of the business services, banking and communications industries also went up 13%, 12% and 7%.

The gross surplus of the storage, communications, financing and business services taken together amounted to $178.5 billion last year, up 15% over 2004.

Four industries' value-added grew

The value-added of these four industries taken together rose 14%, to $119.2 billion. Within this total, the value-added of the storage, financing, business services and communications industries rose 43%, 26%, 7% and 6%.

Owing to the special feature of business operations in the insurance and banking industries, the gross surplus and value-added of these two industries were not compiled.

The 2005 annual survey of storage, communication, financing, insurance and business services was conducted from January to October this year, while the survey of banks, deposit-taking companies, restricted licence banks and representative offices of foreign banks was conducted from May to October.

More details of these two surveys will be given in the Report on 2005 Annual Surveys of Storage, Communication, Banking, Financing, Insurance & Business Services. Users can download this survey report in PDF format free of charge here from mid-January next year.