BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday the second national economic census was essential to promote the strategic and structural adjustment of the economy, highlighting the concerted efforts of relevant government organs to accomplish the task.

Li, a member of the new team of officials who will steer through policies to spread economic prosperity and combat pollution, was recently appointed director of the leading group of the country's second economic census.

The census will help form the basis of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).

Addressing a video conference on preparations for the census, scheduled to begin in January, Li said the results of the survey would be an important reference for future macro-economic controls and corporate activities.

He said it would be difficult to gather data on the service, energy and resources sectors because there had been wide gaps in the development of these industries in recent years and of the statistical methods used to keep accurate records.

He made it clear that the major goal of the census was to obtain integrated data on the service industry, also known as the tertiary sector, and gain a thorough understanding of the intensity of energy and water consumption by the secondary and tertiary sectors.

Source: Xinhua