The Department has been compiling the Quarterly Business Receipts Index (QBRI) since 1998. The index series measures the short-term performance of services industries in the economy. The index is compiled based on the operating receipts reported by a sample of firms on a quarterly basis.

The current base and weights structure that are used to compute the QBRI are based on 1997 operating receipts values. The QBRI has been revised to base year 2002. This is the first re-basing exercise since the index was first introduced. In the re-based series, the survey scope and coverage have been expanded to provide more indicators at disaggregated level. The sample has been increased from 1,130 to 1,900 establishments to cater to the expanded coverage of services industries such as education, recreational, cultural and sporting activities and personal services.

The details of the re-basing exercise are provided in an Information Paper titled "The Quarterly Business Receipts Index: A Technical Note on the Re-basing". The paper also presents the revised weightage, index computation method as well as a comparison of the old series (1997=100) with the new series (2002=100).

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