Australian ICT satellite account

1
Australian ICT satellite account

• Presentation to OECD Working Party on National
  Accounts October 2006

2
Background

• Information and communication technology (ICT)
  plays central role in most economies
• Driver of socio-economic development
• Driver of productivity growth
• Very difficult to conceptualise and measure
• ABS response
• Range of ICT related surveys
• Construction of satellite account

3
Aims

• Improved understanding of links between ICT
  supply and use
• Improved understanding of relevant concepts and
  classifications
• Improved understanding of available data and
  knowledge of data gaps
• Improved national accounts benchmarks and other
  economic statistics

4
Measurement issues

• No international standards for ICT satellite
  accounts unlike for tourism or NPI
• Main issues confronted
• Treatment of construction of telecommunication
  towers
• Bundling hardware and software / mobile phone
  plans
• Treatment of computer games
• Recognising customised software from computer
  services
• Capitalisation of own account software
• Trade in software
• Reporting of leased hardware

5
Key findings ICT shares
6
Key findings ICT contributors

7
Impact on core national accounts

• Improved measures of
• GFCF on computer hardware
• GFCF on computer software
• Trade especially imports of software
• Household expenditure on ICT services
• Better understanding of ICT related industries

8
Summary

• Important work given the pervasive nature of ICT,
  its complexity and its contribution to GDP
• Lack of international standards and the range of
  measurement issues suggests more international
  discussion would be useful
• Clear benefits to core estimates in undertaking
  satellite account analysis