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According to the results of the 2004 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors released today (December 2) by the Census and Statistics Department, the gross output of the construction sector was $153.8 billion in 2004, representing a decrease of 9.6% compared with 2003.
2. The gross operating surplus of the construction sector, which is equal to gross output less total operating expenditure, decreased by 10.0% from a year earlier to $6.3 billion in 2004. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 4.1%, virtually no change compared with 2003.
3. The value added of the construction sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, was $40.7 billion in 2004, representing a decrease of 10.7% compared with 2003.
4. The survey did not cover labour-only sub-contractors that mainly supplied labour to work on a job-to-job basis. However, the gross value of construction work performed by these sub-contractors had already been included in that performed by those contractors commissioning their services.
5. In addition to construction sector, the survey also enumerated establishments engaged in real estate development, leasing, brokerage and maintenance management services; and architectural, surveying and project engineering services.
6. The gross output performed by establishments engaged in real estate development, leasing, brokerage and maintenance management services was $77.1 billion in 2004, representing a decrease of 1.6% compared with 2003.
7. In 2004, the gross operating surplus of these establishments taken together fell by 1.4% from a year earlier to $41.1 billion. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 53.3%, not much different from that of 53.2% in 2003.
8. The value added of these establishments taken together was $53.9 billion in 2004, representing a 1.0% increase from a year earlier.
9. In 2004, the total number of private building projects ever operated was 205. Among them, 83 were in Hong Kong Island, 59 in Kowloon and 63 in the New Territories and outlying islands. As at end-2004, 128 projects, which would together provide 7.9 million square metres gross floor area of buildings when completed, were still under construction.
10. The survey did not include establishments which developed real estate projects for their own use, nor did it include those which owned land but without developing it during the reference year. Also excluded were real estate leasing and other related activities undertaken by individuals or firms which employed less than two persons (except for subsidiaries of real estate enterprises).
11. As regards establishments engaged in architectural, surveying and project engineering services, the gross output in 2004 was $9.7 billion, representing a decrease of 10.4% from a year earlier.
12. In 2004, the gross operating surplus of these establishments taken together increased by 28.8% from a year earlier to $0.6 billion. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 6.7%, higher than that of 4.7% in 2003.
13. In 2004, the value added of these establishments taken together was $5.9 billion, representing a decrease of 12.7% from a year earlier.
14. The attached table shows the summary results of the survey.
15. The survey was conducted from January to October 2005. More detailed survey results will be given in the "Report on 2004 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors" to be available in January 2006, in both print version and download version (in PDF format). It can be purchased online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk). Print version can be purchased through mail order by completing and returning an order form which can be downloaded from the website of the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) (http://www.info.gov.hk/censtatd/eng/prod_serv/forms_index.html). Purchase in person can be made at the Publications Unit of the C&SD (Address: 19/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel.: 2582 3025).
16. For enquiries about the survey results, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section of the C&SD at telephone 2882 4684 or email building@censtatd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, December 2, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:15
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