Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey, 64042-64043 [E7-22232]

Download as PDF mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 64042 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 14, 2007 / Notices scientific and engineering resources and to provide a source of information for policy formulation by other agencies of the Federal government.’’ The Survey is the vehicle with which NSF carries out the industrial portion of this mandate. NSF together with the Census Bureau, the collecting and compiling agent, analyze the data and publish the resulting statistics. Industry is the major performer of research and development (R&D) in the United States, spending over 70 percent of total U.S. R&D outlays each year. A consistent industrial R&D information base is essential to government officials formulating public policy, industry personnel involved in corporate planning, and members of the academic community conducting research. To develop policies designed to promote and enhance science and technology, past trends and the present status of R&D must be known and analyzed. Without comprehensive industrial R&D statistics, it would be impossible to evaluate the health of science and technology in the United States or to make comparisons between the technological progress of our country and that of other nations. Statistics from the Survey are published in NSF’s annual publication series, Research and Development in Industry, available via the Internet at www.nsf.gov/statistics/industry. Since 1953, this survey has provided continuity of statistics on R&D expenditures by major industry groups and by source of funds. Over the years, questions on a number of additional areas have been added to the Survey as the need for this R&D information became necessary for policy formulation and research. In the last request for OMB review, response to five questions (total net sales and total employment for the company; and the amount of Federal and total funds the company spent on R&D and cost of R&D performed within the company by state) was mandatory and fulfilled the Census Bureau’s datacollecting mandate in Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 131, 182, 224, and 225. Further, authorization to make the entire survey mandatory every five years to coincide with the Census Bureau’s Economic Census was requested and approved. The ‘all-mandatory’ requirement was last applied for the 2002 cycle of the Survey. The next economic census will be conducted for 2007 and authorization to apply the requirement is requested. The Census Bureau and NSF also request to add item 13 from Form RD– 1 to Form RD–1A—R&D by type of expense. This item has been on the VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:23 Nov 13, 2007 Jkt 214001 Form RD–1 for several years and survey respondents have shown the ability to provide data for this item. Collecting this information on both forms will allow the Census Bureau and NSF to have a more complete estimate of R&D expense by type. The Census Bureau and the NSF are planning a redesign of the Survey. The Census Bureau will provide a separate OMB submission for the redesigned survey to be implemented for survey year 2008. Policy officials from many Federal agencies rely on statistics from this survey for essential information. For example, total U.S. R&D expenditures statistics have been used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to update the System of National Accounts and BEA has established a separate R&D satellite account in the System. Results from the Survey are needed to develop and subsequently update this detailed satellite account. Also a data linking project was designed to augment the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) data collected by BEA. This project was the first conducted under new data sharing legislation. The linking of the results of the 1997 and 1999 cycles of the Survey with BEA’s 1997 and 1999 FDI benchmark files was the first application of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) that allows limited data sharing among selected Federal statistical agencies. The Census Bureau and NSF are preparing to conduct annual linkage projects of the R&D data to the FDI and USDIA data, commencing with the 2004 survey files. Plans also call for the possible linkage of the 2007 and future survey files. Further, the Census Bureau links data collected by the Survey with other statistical files. At the Census Bureau, historical company-level R&D data are linked to a file that contains information on the outputs and inputs of companies’ manufacturing plants. Researchers are able to analyze the relationships between R&D funding and other economic variables by using micro-level data. Many individuals and organizations access the survey statistics via the Internet and hundreds have asked to have their names placed on the mailing list for a paper copy of the annual SRS InfoBrief that announces the availability of statistics from each cycle of the Survey. Information about the kinds of projects that rely on statistics from the Survey is available from internal records of NSF’s Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS). In addition, survey statistics are regularly printed in trade publications and many researchers use PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the survey statistics from these secondary sources without directly contacting NSF or the Census Bureau. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. Frequency: Annually. Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 131, 182, 224, and 225. OMB Desk Officer: Brian HarrisKojetin, (202) 395–7314. Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at dhynek@doc.gov). Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202–395– 7245) or e-mail (bharrisk@omb.eop.gov). Dated: November 7, 2007. Gwellnar Banks, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. E7–22273 Filed 11–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–07–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. Census Bureau Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on or before January 14, 2008. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at dHynek@doc.gov). DATES: E:\FR\FM\14NON1.SGM 14NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 14, 2007 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions should be directed to John Miller, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 8K081, Washington, DC 20233–6500, (301) 763–2758. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey provides the only continuous measure of monthly sales, end-of-month inventories, and inventories/sales ratios in the United States by selected kinds of business for merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers’ sales branches and offices. The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses this information to improve the inventory valuation adjustments applied to estimates of the Gross Domestic Product. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data as input to their Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements. Estimates produced from the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey are based on a probability sample and are published on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) basis. The sample design consists of small, medium, and large cases requested to report sales and inventories each month. The sample, consisting of about 4,500 wholesale businesses, is drawn from the Business Register, which contains all Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) and listed establishment locations. The sample is updated quarterly to reflect employer business ‘‘births’’ and ‘‘deaths’’; adding new employer businesses identified in the Business and Professional Classification Survey and deleting firms and EINs when it is determined they are no longer active. The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey will continue to generate its monthly report form through a print-on demand system. This system allows us to tailor the survey instrument to a specific industry. For example, it will print an additional instruction for a particular NAICS code. This system also reduces the time and cost of preparing mailout packages that contain unique variable data, while improving the look and quality of the products being produced. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES II. Method of Collection This information is collected by mail, fax, and telephone follow-up. III. Data OMB Control Number: 0607–0190. Form Number: SM–42(00), SM– 42F(00). Type of Review: Regular submission. Affected Public: Merchant wholesale firms, excluding manufacturers’ sales VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:23 Nov 13, 2007 Jkt 214001 branches and offices, which operate in the United States. Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,500. Estimated Time Per Response: 7 minutes. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,300. Estimated Total Annual Cost: $165,438. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 182. IV. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. Dated: November 7, 2007. Gwellnar Banks, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. E7–22232 Filed 11–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–07–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Economic Analysis Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; International Travel Expenditures ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. January 14, 2008. PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 64043 Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via e-mail at dHynek@doc.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Mann, Chief, Current Account Services Branch, Balance of Payments Division (BE–58), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone: (202) 606–9573; fax: (202) 606– 5314; or via e-mail at michael.mann@bea.gov. ADDRESSES: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is responsible for the compilation of the U.S. international transactions accounts (ITA’s), which it publishes quarterly in news releases, on its Web site, and in its monthly journal, the Survey of Current Business. These accounts provide a statistical summary of all U.S. international transactions and, as such, are one of the major statistical products of BEA. They are used extensively by both government and private organizations for national and international economic policy formulation and for analytical purposes. Travel is a major component of trade in services in the ITAs, accounting for over 20 percent of both exports and imports of services in 2006. BEA seeks to improve the quality of these important estimates by using data on credit card transactions to form the core of the travel estimates. A survey of travelers is needed to estimate those transactions involving other means of payment. This survey is the subject of this notice. The survey will collect data from international travelers on their expenditures by method of payment (credit card, cash, prepaid expenditures, etc.) and will be designed to integrate with data that would be collected on credit card transactions. II. Method of Collection The information will be collected on a short survey of U.S. residents returning from travel abroad and foreign residents returning to their home countries after a trip to the United States. There will be two versions of the survey: one for U.S. travelers, and one for foreign travelers. The version for foreign travelers will be translated into several foreign languages. The survey will be voluntary, and a small monetary incentive will be offered to respondents. It will be conducted in a sample of U.S. international airports in four waves over E:\FR\FM\14NON1.SGM 14NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64042-64043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22232]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Monthly 
Wholesale Trade Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before January 14, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at dHynek@doc.gov).

[[Page 64043]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to John Miller, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 8K081, 
Washington, DC 20233-6500, (301) 763-2758.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey provides the only continuous 
measure of monthly sales, end-of-month inventories, and inventories/
sales ratios in the United States by selected kinds of business for 
merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and 
offices. The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses this information to 
improve the inventory valuation adjustments applied to estimates of the 
Gross Domestic Product. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data as 
input to their Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity 
measurements.
    Estimates produced from the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey are 
based on a probability sample and are published on the North American 
Industry Classification System (NAICS) basis. The sample design 
consists of small, medium, and large cases requested to report sales 
and inventories each month. The sample, consisting of about 4,500 
wholesale businesses, is drawn from the Business Register, which 
contains all Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) and listed 
establishment locations. The sample is updated quarterly to reflect 
employer business ``births'' and ``deaths''; adding new employer 
businesses identified in the Business and Professional Classification 
Survey and deleting firms and EINs when it is determined they are no 
longer active.
    The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey will continue to generate its 
monthly report form through a print-on demand system. This system 
allows us to tailor the survey instrument to a specific industry. For 
example, it will print an additional instruction for a particular NAICS 
code. This system also reduces the time and cost of preparing mailout 
packages that contain unique variable data, while improving the look 
and quality of the products being produced.

II. Method of Collection

    This information is collected by mail, fax, and telephone follow-
up.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0190.
    Form Number: SM-42(00), SM-42F(00).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Merchant wholesale firms, excluding manufacturers' 
sales branches and offices, which operate in the United States.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,500.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 7 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,300.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $165,438.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: November 7, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-22232 Filed 11-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P

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