National Business Climate Index Kept Fast Pace in the First Quarter

Business Climate Survey results of NBS in whole country showed that the national business climate index (BCI) was 136.2 in the first quarter of 2008, slightly decreasing 7.4 points over the previous quarter. According to the operational track in each quarter, the BCIs generally kept a fast pace, but by the sudden disaster and the low-temperature freezing rain and snow, and slowing of the growth of the world economy and other factors, the BCI in the first quarter dropped significantly.

The BCI of information transfer computer services and software declined 159.0, continuing placed high position, but slightly down sequentially as compared with previous quarter. The BCIs of industry, construction, real estate, social services, and lodging and catering respectively was 133.3, 136.7, 132.2, 132.2, and 123.3, obviously fall sequentially with previous quarter. The BCIs of storage and post, wholesale and retail trades was 135.1, and 153.2 respectively, slightly increased with previous quarter.

The BCIs of various types of enterprises of registration kept general level sequentially. The BCIs of state-owned enterprises, collective-owned enterprises, cooperative enterprises, limited liability corporation, share-holding enterprises, private enterprises, foreign funded enterprises, and enterprises with funds from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan respectively was 133.8, 115.5, 114.3, 132.5, 146.9, 130.0, and 143.8, thereinto the BCI of share-holding enterprises continuously occupied first place in all various types of enterprises of registration for eight quarters. As compared with previous quarter, the BCI of collective-owned enterprises was increasing slightly, while that the other types of enterprises have different levels of decline.

The BCI of large enterprises took the significantly superiority than small and medium enterprises. The BCIs of small, medium and large enterprises hit 115.5, 125.2, and 154.7 respectively. Compared with the previous quarter, the BCIs of small, medium and large enterprises fall in the range between 4-10 points.

The BCIs of eastern, central and western regions was 139.9, 133.2, and 131.9 respectively, dropped 6.3, 10.1, and 7.3 points as compared with the previous quarter.