NOTES

This issue provides additional and revised information on annual Government Finance Statistics.

Data for Public Non-financial Corporations, Non-financial Public sector, Public Financial Corporations and Total Public sector for the Commonwealth, State, Local, State and Local governments and the Multi-jurisdictional sector have become available and are published in the Main Features and tables of this release.

The 2009-10 Commonwealth General Government expenses by purpose for Social security and Welfare services released in the publication on 12 April 2011 were incorrect and have been revised. This impacted on the Expenses by Purpose for the General Government Sector.

The New South Wales State General Government Payments for goods and services and Other financing (net) for 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 released in the publication on 12 April 2011 were incorrect and have been revised. This has impacted on the Cash Flow Statement for General Government, Non-financial Public Sector and Total Public sector for New South Wales State, New South Wales State and Local, Total State and Total State and Local and Australia.

As a result of the revisions, changes have been made to the Main Features Expense by Purpose table and 10 data cubes affected, being Tables:

• 130. General Government - Commonwealth
• 231. General Government - State - New South Wales
• 239. General Government - State - Total State
• 939. General Government - Australia - All levels of government
• 249. Non-financial Public Sector - Total State
• 949. Non-financial Public Sector - Australia - All levels of government
• 291. Total Public Sector - New South Wales
• 299. Total Public Sector - Total State
• 999. Total Public Sector - Australia - All levels of government
• 531. General Government - State and Local - New South Wales

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

This publication presents government finance statistics (GFS) on an accrual accounting basis for each jurisdiction for general government, public non-financial corporations, the non-financial public sector, public financial corporations and the total public sector as follows:

• Operating statements;
• Cash flow statements; and
• Balance sheets.

Time series of these data are available on the ABS web site for the periods 2000-01 to 2009-10.

Users interested in quarterly GFS data for the current financial year should refer to Government Finance Statistics, Australia, Quarterly (cat. no. 5519.0.55.001).


CHANGES TO THIS RELEASE

A revised international standard for compiling National Accounts, the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA08), was endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission in February 2009. SNA08 was implemented in Australia's National Accounts in September quarter 2009. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) treatment of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in Government Finance Statistics (GFS) has changed to align with SNA08. This change has been introduced in the 2009-10 issue and has affected the Commonwealth General Government Balance Sheet for all financial years.

The Australian System of Government Finance Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 5514.0) has been updated to reflect this change.


REVISED STANDARD FOR GOVERNMENT FINANCE STATISTICS

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM2001) will be revised in the future to reflect the SNA08. Although the IMF review of the GFSM has commenced, the timing of the release of the GFSM is unknown at this stage. ABS GFS will be updated to reflect the new international standard after the revised IMF GFSM is available.


REVISIONS

Revisions have been made as a result of updated data being reported by jurisdictions. In particular:

• revisions have been made back to 2005-06 for the South Australian expenses by purpose due to an improved methodology for compiling these data,
• balance sheet data have also been revised for New South Wales and Victoria back to 1998-99.

TERMINOLOGY

Within GFS the consolidated total of the general government and the public non-financial corporations sectors is referred to as the 'non-financial public sector'. The consolidated total of the general government, the public non-financial corporations and the public financial corporations sectors is referred to as the 'total public sector'.

In this publication, the term 'state' includes the two territories. Therefore 'state' refers to 'state and territory' and 'state and local' refers to 'state, territory and local'.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Larissa Fischer on Canberra (02) 6252 5392.