[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 93 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26768-26769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12820]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Annual Survey of Construction, Engineering, Architectural, and 
Mining Services Provided by U.S. Firms to Unaffiliated Foreign Persons

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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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 July 13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to: R. David Belli, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of 
Economic Analysis, BE-50(OC), Washington, DC 20230 (Telephone: 202-606-
9800).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The BE-47 Annual Survey of Construction, Engineering, 
Architectural, and Mining Services Provided by U.S. Firms to 
Unaffiliated Foreign Persons will obtain data on U.S. sales to 
unaffiliated foreign persons of construction, engineering, 
architectural, and mining services. The information gathered is needed, 
among other purposes, to support U.S. trade policy initiatives and to 
compile the U.S. international transactions, input-output, and national 
income and product accounts. BEA is proposing to drop the requirement 
to report data on Form BE-47 by individual project and instead require 
reporting only by country. This proposed change will bring the format 
and design of the survey generally more into line with those of other 
surveys of international services transactions that BEA conducts. In 
addition, BEA is proposing a change in the way transactions are coded 
by type of service. Currently, eight codes are used to classify the 
data reported on Form BE-47 by type of service. These codes are based 
on the 1987 U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. BEA 
proposes to collapse these eight codes into three broad groupings, 
which will be based on the new North American Industry Classification 
System that is replacing the SIC. These proposed changes will result in 
a small reduction in the estimated time per response.

II. Method of Collection

    The survey will be sent each year to potential respondents in 
January and responses are due by March 31. A U.S.

[[Page 26769]]

person providing construction, engineering, architectural, or mining 
services to unaffiliated foreign persons is required to report if the 
gross value of new contracts received or the gross operating revenues 
from all existing contracts is $1 million or more during the covered 
year. A U.S. person that receives a form but is not required to report 
data must file an exemption claim.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0608-0015.
    Form Number: BE-47.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: U.S. business or other for-profit institutions 
providing construction, engineering, architectural, and mining services 
to unaffiliated foreign persons.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 155.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 4.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 700.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $21,000 (based on an estimated 
reporting burden of 700 hours and an estimated hourly cost of $30).

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 has 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: May 8, 1998.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 98-12820 Filed 5-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P