1001.0 - Annual Report - ABS Annual Report, 2004-05

Contents >> Section 1 - Summary of Operations >> Chapter 1 - Executive Summary >> Financial Position

Financial Position

Within the context of the Portfolio Budget Statements, the ABS has two outputs: (i) Economic Statistics; and (ii) Population and Social Statistics. Table 1 below provides, for 2004–05, a financial summary of ABS outputs and price of outputs against the budgeted figures, and also provides budgeted figures for 2005–06. The full financial statements are provided in Chapter 8, while a detailed summary of outputs by program component is provided in Appendix 2. The ABS budget is prepared under an accrual framework, consistent with the Australian Government Budget requirements.

There was an operating surplus of $2.984 million in 2004–05. This was a better outcome than the balanced result anticipated at the time of the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements. The surplus in 2004–05 primarily relates to increased revenue due to stronger demand for ABS standard products and information consultancies, and delays in recruitment associated with labour market constraints.

TABLE 1: FINANCIAL RESOURCES SUMMARY ($’000)


			Budget 2004–05(a)	Actual 2004–05	Variance	Budget 2005–06(b)

Administered expenses
	Discretionary grants(c)		–	–	–	–
	Total administered expenses		–	–	–	–
Price of ABS outputs
	Output Group 1.1 — ABS — national statistical service
		Output 1.1.1 — Economic statistics	145,654	145,440	-214	170,732
		Output 1.1.2 — Population and social statistics	142,569	142,359	-210	167,115
		Total ABS output	288,223	287,799	-424	337,847
	Revenue from government appropriation		269,855	269,964	109	318,622
	Revenue from other sources		18,368	20,819	2,451	20,636
	Total price of outputs		288,223	290,783	2,560	339,258
	Total for outcome 1		288,223	290,783	2,560	339,258
	Staff years (number)		2,652	2,630	-22	2,711

(a) Budget 2004–05 — full year budget, including additional estimates.
(b) Budget 2005–06 — budget prior to additional estimates.
(c) The ABS does not administer any discretionary grants.

The breakdown of revenue raised from other sources is shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2: REVENUE RAISED FROM OTHER SOURCES ($’000)


			2002–03	2003–04	2004–05

Revenue raised from statistics
	Publications
		Subscriptions	922	682	489
		Other	628	389	287
	Other standard products		8,270	4,603	4,293
	Information consultancy		6,388	4,432	4,814
	Statistical consultancy		892	833	784
	User funded surveys		3,441	3,083	4,465
	Other products and services		4,066	4,738	4,100
	Total revenue raised from statistics		24,607	18,760	19,232
Other revenue			1,451	680	1,587
Total			26,058	19,440	20,819

The ABS recorded a 2.5 per cent increase in revenue raised from statistics in 2004–05. The slight increase in total revenue raised was pleasing despite an expectation that total revenue would decline due to the cyclical pattern of revenue from census products.

The increase in user funded surveys and information consultancy revenue reflects the ABS commitment to increasing its engagement with statistical users. Revenue from publications increased for web-based publications and decreased for paper-based publications, reflecting an ABS decision to reduce the number of paper-based products.

Revenue declined from other standard products, such as CDATA add-on products, as did revenue from outposted ABS officers, international consultancies and statistical unit funding.

It is expected there will be a decline in revenue from statistics in future years. This will be as a result of: free access to many statistics on the ABS web site from 1 July 2005; the ABS policy of encouraging self-help facilities; the increasing data availability on the ABS web site; and the increasing use of intermediaries.

Dennis Trewin
Australian Statistician

This page last updated 16 October 2006

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