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Evaluating the Use of Commercial Databases for Compiling Outward Foreign Affiliates Statistics

This research examines the practicality and quality of commercial databases in compiling Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) in the Netherlands. Using datasets from Dun & Bradstreet and ORBIS, we assess factors such as relevance, accuracy, and stability in the data. Key problems identified include inaccurate ownership structures and incomplete data on foreign affiliates, especially regarding extra-EU countries. Our conclusion emphasizes that reliable FATS cannot solely rely on commercial databases, necessitating direct inquiry to Dutch companies for accurate reporting on foreign activities.

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Evaluating the Use of Commercial Databases for Compiling Outward Foreign Affiliates Statistics

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  1. Commercial sources & compiling statistics Floortje Sniedt Statistics Netherlands Department of Business Statistics Wiesbaden Group, Paris Session 6c: “Measuring multinationals’ activity and groups register” 26 November 2008

  2. Background • - Outward-FATS (FATS = Foreign AffiliaTes Statistics) • - Registers (Chamber of Commerce, Tax Authorities) • Commercial databases? • Dun & Bradstreet; ORBIS (Bureau van Dijk) Research goal: to examine the usefulness and quality of commercial databases in compiling FATS statistics

  3. Research • Databases provided us with datasets for a sample of “Dutch companies with foreign affiliates” • Datasets were judged on several quality aspects • Relevance • Timeliness • Accuracy & reliability • Comparability • Accessibility • Stability & continuity

  4. …… 2005 2006 2007 Etc. …… 2007 2005 2006 Etc. Variables +referencelabel ORBIS Ownership database Financial-economic database Companies Variables Dun & Bradstreet Only most recent data Companies +referencelabel Ownership & financial-economic database Problem 1: structure of databases Local information providers

  5. Problem 2: availability & accuracy • - Accuracy of ownership-structures • - repeatedly wrong ‘UCI’s’ • - often foreign affiliates “missing” • - Accuracy of financial-economic data • - only ~25% of the data of foreign affiliates available • - however......NOT plausible!

  6. Problem 3: regional coverage • Several EXTRA-EU countries do not have “trusted” local information providers • Underrepresentation of companies in databases

  7. Conclusion • It is NOT POSSIBLE to compile outward- FATS using commercial databases • Data have to be collected by questioning Dutch UCI’s about activities in extra-EU countries(restricted to largest Dutch UCI’s)

  8. Company visits: insights • - Relevant data with respect to extra-EU affiliates are available at level of Dutch UCI • These data are not provided to other (government) agencies • For reporting by UCI’s, it would be helpful if the Business Unit structure will be taken into account

  9. Questions? Thank you for your attention! Floortje Sniedt ========= f.sniedt@cbs.nl

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