Workshop held to help collection of provicial data for better CPI picture

Youth & Careers

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
PROVINCIAL price data collection officers in the country can now be able to collect, enter and analyse the prices of consumer goods in shops after series of workshops on consumer price index (CPI) collection.
The second workshop on CPI collection procedures was hosted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in Lae.
It was to help provincial price data collectors employed under NSO in the Price Statistics branch.
The Price Statistics branch was responsible for CPI in provinces.
The price collectors were trained on how to collect data using four forms – the retail form, protein form, special form and market survey form.
The team was out on Monday to do practical work in Lae shops on how to collect data using the forms.
Price Statistics branch manager Pauka Karafa said the workshop and practical work showed how to collect prices using the four forms.
“The NSO is trying to expand price collection, the idea is to increase the scope and cover other areas” Karafa said. “We currently collect prices in only seven towns – Port Moresby, Lae, Alotau, Kimbe, Rabaul, Goroka and Mt Hagen.
“We want to include other centres also, and include other provinces so they can also know their standard or cost of living.
“The data that is collected using the forms is important.
It will be used to calculate the CPI.
“CPI is important for government policies, and the information is used by the Treasury Department, Bank of Papua New Guinea, International Monetary Fund and Trade Unions.”