The FOI has signed a contract with the EU Commission to conduct the Industry Survey under the Joint Harmonised EU Programme of Business and Consumer Surveys. FOI president Anton Borg explained that the survey consists of a few, easy to answer, questions that will be sent to all the industries in every sector on a monthly basis.

The survey has been made more user-friendly in that respondents will be given a wider choice of options for their reply. Apart from sending their answers by post, the electronic version of the survey will also be available on the Internet address: www.foi.org.mt, said Mr Borg.

The FOI is encouraging other organisations that gather similar information from industry to join this survey mechanism. Apart from being more cost-effective, and ensuring commonality of the information gathered, this will reduce the burden on the respondents who, the federation has long believed, are required to complete too many survey forms.

Pricewaterhousecoopers will be acting as the survey advisors and have been working closely with the FOI to set up the survey organisation. Senior partner John Bonello explained that Pricewaterhousecoopers’ involvement will ensure confidentiality and they will aim to make the survey as efficient as possible.

The EU Programme of Business and Consumer surveys, under which the FOI will be operating, is designed to gather information on the state of economies of the member states to compare business cycles.

The first of these monthly surveys will be launched in the first week of May and replies will be collected up to the middle of the month. These will then be aggregated and forwarded to the commission. The FOI urged all the firms that receive the survey questionnaire in the next few days, to participate.