Welcome to Netherland

Services, consisting of four segments- trade, transportation and communications; financial, real estate and business services; construction, and community, social and personal services- accounted for more than 54% of GDP in 2005-06. Nearly all segments have been growing robustly, resulting in a consistent overall growth of more than 10% in the past three years.
	Activity in the hotel industry improved significantly, aided by rise in domestic and international tourism, both businesses as well as leisure.
	The robust performance of the services sector during 2005-06 was led mainly by ‘trade, hotels, transport and communication’, which contributed almost one-half of the sector’s growth.
	Growth in the number of new cell phone connections (89.4 per cent) during 2005-06 also strengthened the services sector.
	The transport sector recorded a healthy growth during 2005-06 reflecting growth in the revenue earning freight traffic by the railways (10.7 per cent), cargo handled at major ports (10.3 per cent), cargo handled by civil aviation (10.6 per cent) and passengers handled at five major airports (21.6 per cent).
	Growth in ‘financing, insurance, real estate and business services’ benefited from sustained growth in bank credit and deposits, progressive expansion of insurance activity and continued buoyancy in exports of software and other business services.
	The construction sector exhibited double-digit growth for the third consecutive year, reflecting the focus on infrastructure development and supported by housing activity.
	However, community, social and personal services’, however, recorded deceleration during 2005-06, reflecting the process of fiscal consolidation and increased efficiency in expenditure management.

Services