PHILIPSBURG:---The Department of Statistics (STAT) announces the end of its Pilot Household Budget Survey. 40 households participated in this practice-run, from February 15th through 28th. This helped STAT to test its fieldwork organisation, interviewers, the burden on households, as well as internal processes such as data validity and editing. Each household has been rewarded with a token of appreciation from STAT's partners namely, Cost-U-Less, Le Grand Marche, Sunny Foods, United Telecommunications and TelEm Group.
In the upcoming weeks, STAT will evaluate the Pilot and make any necessary changes for the official Household Budget Survey which starts on April 1, 2015.
As is the methodology for the Household Budget Survey, households will be contacted directly by STAT beforehand, to notify them of their selection in the sample. Following this, a select group of persons will hand-deliver notification letters and information packages to these households. Prior to the specific survey-period, STAT will confirm the households' participation within a particular time-period. The survey is scheduled to run for 8 months until December 2015.
The Department of Statistics would like to ensure that in accordance with the Statistical Ordinance (AB 2013, GT no.450), participation in STAT surveys are mandatory and all information will be handled confidentially. STAT also thanks the population of St. Maarten for their continuing cooperation.
