In the period 19 - 21 September 2018, the National Statistical Institute hosted a three-day training course where experts from ‘Consumer prices, Housing prices and Purchasing Power Parities’ Department introduced their colleagues from the State Statistical Office of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with Bulgarian experience in the field of Harmonized Indices of Consumer Prices.
The training was organised in the framework of IPA 2015 Multi-Beneficiary Statistical Co-operation Programme with beneficiaries Balkan countries.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Bogdan Bogdanov, PhD, Deputy president of the NSI. The training of Macedonian experts was chaired by Mrs. Albena Dancheva, Head of ‘Consumer prices, Housing prices and Purchasing Power Parities’ Department, with the involvement of the experts from the same department.
The main topics, subject of discussion during the visit were as follows:
• Review and implementation of legislation in the field of statistics of consumer prices;
• Bulgarian experience in applying the quality assessment methods;
• Treatment of seasonal products;
• Procedures for collection and validation of data;
• Harmonized index of consumer prices at constant tax rates;
• Classification of HICP sub-indices of fully or partially administered level 5 of COICOP;
• New inventory structure of HICP sources and methods and quality reports;
• Construction and production of house price indices.
The visit contributes to strengthen the good relations between both Statistical offices and is a prerequisite for further development of cooperation between them.
