"What is behind the number, must understand what is behind the numbers", as head of BPS, Suhariyanto said when opening the 2018 Live Cost Survey Workshop (SBH) in Best Western Hotel Solo, 21-22 November 2017. SBH data collection is expected to capture changes in consumption patterns and how to transact societies, in order to obtain 'commodity baskets' and a representative weigher for use in the calculation of Inflation. The commodity basket means the collection of selected commodities from the selected SBHs to be monitored constantly in order to calculate inflation.
The workshop was attended by Head of Distribution Statistics Division, Head of IPDS BPS Provincial, and Head of BPS Kabupaten / Kota SBH 2018. The purpose of the workshop is to equip and increase knowledge and insight regarding the usefulness and impact of inflation data. Besides, it is also to equate understanding related to methodology, enumeration, and processing of SBH2018. Previously, National Instructor Training (Innas) and Officers of SBH 2018 were conducted in October and November 2017. Updating selected households SBH 2018 will be held in December this year. The recording of household expenditures for SBH 2018 is conducted during 2018, with different selected households in each quarter. Recording of non-food expenditures was recorded by households for 3 months, while food expenditures were recorded by households for a week at month 3. There is a different from SBH 2018 this time. If earlier inflation data were collected from 82 cities across Indonesia and 859 commodity packages, this coverage would be expanded to 90 cities across Indonesia consisting of 34 provincial capitals and 56 districts / municipalities.
Suhariyanto also stressed that inflation / deflation data is often highlighted by several ministers to the President. Inflation data is very influential in the making of various national policies. Utilization of inflation / deflation data among others as a means of adjusting wage rates, social security, interest payments, and contract value, which will ultimately impact on state finances. In addition, the workshop participants SBH 2018 also given material related to the impact, the role and importance of inflation data presented by the speakers from the Assistant Monetary Deputy and Balance of Payments, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Edi Prio Pambudi, and Head of Economic Research Group Department of Economic and Monetary Policy Bank Indonesia, Reza Anglingkusumo.
At the end of his speech, Suhariyanto advised all participants of the workshop, to guard and improve the sensitivity to the phenomenon encountered during the data collection of SBH 2018. Accurate price data collected through SBH 2018 became the material of inflation / deflation. Many people monitor the methodology and quality of CPI and inflation / deflation data, one of which is the Central and Regional Inflation Control Team.
