Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Analysis Bureau

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC) has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork

Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Title: Annual Survey of Selected Services Transactions with

Unaffiliated Foreign Persons.

[[Page 50290]]

Agency Form Number: BE-22.

OMB Approval Number: 0608-0060.

Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Burden: 17,250 hours.

Number of Respondents: 1,500.

Avg Hours Per Response: 11.5 hours.

Needs and Uses: The BE-22 annual survey is required to obtain

reliable and up-to-date information on selected U.S. services

transactions with unaffiliated foreign persons, by type of service

cross-classified by foreign country. It is intended to update the

results of the BE-20 benchmark survey, which covers the universe of

such transactions. The BE-20 survey is conducted once every five years,

and the last survey covered 1996. The BE-22 survey is conducted each of

the four years between two benchmark surveys; the last BE-22 covered

1995. Some of the major purposes of the survey are to provide

information needed in formulating U.S. international trade policy on

services, support bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations and

monitoring trade agreements, compile the U.S. balance of payments and

national income and product accounts, develop U.S. international price

indexes for services, assess and promote U.S. competitiveness in

international trade in services, and improve the ability of U.S.

businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities.

Affected Public: Business and other for-profit organizations, and

non-for profit institutions, state and local government, or other

institutions engaging in international transactions in covered

services.

Frequency: Annual.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 22 U.S.C., Section 3101--3108, as amended.

OMB Desk Officer: Paul Bugg, (202) 395-3093.

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained

by calling or writing DOC Clearance Officer, Linda Engelmeier, (202)

482-3272, Department of Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information

collection should be sent within 30 days to Paul Bugg, OMB Desk

Officer, Room 10201, New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street,

N.W., Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: September 19, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and

Organization.

[FR Doc 97-25439 Filed 9-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 3510-06-P