Comprehensive data manipulation and integration to enhance purchasing power parity computation

The workshop was successful in meeting all the set objectives, and was concluded with an achievement of the following outcomes:

• An overview on the current regional status of the global 2021 ICP cycle, which addressed the challenges faced by member countries in their price data collection, the achievements made by ESCWA in integrating new countries in the 2021 ICP round, the new strategy adopted for PPP computation in the Arab region, as well as the innovative data collection tools that have been recently employed by ESCWA.
• A thorough and systematic inter-country validation process that treated price outliers has been implemented, as part of the effort to ensure the highest level of accuracy in the household consumption survey for 2021.
• A hands on training on the implementation of price data in a special statistical software.
• A rigorous inter-country examination that included the identification and treatment of price outliers has been implemented, which aimed at guaranteeing the reliability and accuracy of the member country’s rentals survey data for 2021.
• A comprehensive overview of the data recording process for the private education survey was conducted, and price outliers were treated.
• A thorough process on the identification and treatment of price outliers to guarantee the utmost accuracy of government compensation survey data for 2021.
• A comprehensive inter-country review to identifying any discrepancies in the price data collected for the construction survey for 2021.
• A detailed and systematic inter-country examination detecting any errors or anomalies in the price data for the machinery and equipment survey for 2021.
• A detailed discussion on the precise timeline for the submission of the thoroughly reviewed data.

At the end of the workshop, a timetable of activities was agreed upon relating to the below:

• Prioritizing the revision of the collected price data for household and non-household consumption surveys according to the findings of the workshop. This step is crucial to ensure the accuracy of the computed purchasing power parities.
• Submission of the missing data for 2021 and 2022.