STATISTICAL FORM-FILLING BY INDUSTRY - NET BURDEN OR NET BENEFIT

Successful businesses need to have access to comprehensive and detaile d market information about the products of concern to them. In order t o benefit from such information, firms must be prepared to contribute data as well as to receive it. The evaluation of any net benefit or di sbenefit to a particular firm will always be qualitative, and will usu ally be complicated by the fact that within a firm the data provider a nd the data user will not be the same. The business sector-including t rade associations-is often not in the best position to compile the nec essary data. Governments have the means and the authority to collect, compile and disseminate a wide range of detailed product information. If governments wish to stimulate industrial growth, they should use th eir statutory powers to whatever extent is necessary.