The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness

Coverage characteristics

5.1.1 Statistical presentation

• The Wholesale Price Indices (WPI) comprise the Domestic Wholesale  Price  Index (DWPI), Import Price Index (IPI) and Export Price Index (EPI).  The Wholesale Price Indices is weighted average of these three indices.  All are Laspeyres indices with a base year 2006=100. ¡@
• The Wholesale Price Indices is to measure the average changes in selling prices of materials, semi-finished and finished goods for Taiwan area.   The Wholesale Price Indices covers 1123 items: DWPI covers 575 items, IPI covers 273 items and EPI covers 275 items.   The most prices are collected through a monthly mail survey or Internet Reporting System.    The designated companies report the actual selling prices of selected commodities with the same specification (in principle, price after adjustment for rebate, tax, shipment, etc.) around the 20th of each month.
• The weights of DWPI manufacturer are obtained from the Industrial Production Statistics, National Income Statistics and data provided by relative associations are referred in 2006.   For non-manufacturers (Agriculture, Mining, Forestry, Fishing, Water Supply, etc.), the weights are referred to Year books of Agriculture, Mining, Forestry, Fishing, Water Supply and Electricity.    The weights of IPI and EPI are based on the customs-clearing values of import (or export) goods of 2006 in Taiwan Area, including re-imports (re-exports).  The values of import (export) items outside the sample being added proportionally to that of surveyed items similar in attributes and price trends.
• The indices as a whole are normally re-based about five years and the weights are changed at a five-yearly intervals.
• Seasonally adjusted and unadjusted indices are provided.

Periodicity

4.1.1 Periodicity

Monthly

Timeliness

4.1.2 Timeliness

The fifth day (postpone to the next working day if on holiday) after the end of  the reference month.

Access by the Public

Advance dissemination of release calendar

5.1.3 Advance release calendar

• In principle, the press release is made on the fifth day (postponed to the next working day if on holiday) each month.  The date of the next release is announced in each news release.
• A schedule of the precise release dates for the Calendar year is  listed  on the Internet website (http://win.dgbas.gov.tw/dgbas03/bs7/sdds/english/calendar.htm)

Simultaneous release to all interested parties

5.1.4 Simultaneous release

¡P         Subject to embargo, no information is released prior to the official release.  The data are released to all interested parties at a press conference  at 4:00 P.M. on  the release day. The material is given to media simultaneously. 

¡P         The reference data are also available on the Internet website:
http://eng.stat.gov.tw/lp.asp?ctNode=2410&CtUnit=1016&BaseDSD=7

¡P         The ¡§Price Statistics Monthly¡¨ is available electronically on the Internet website:
 http://eng.stat.gov.tw/lp.asp?ctNode=1559&CtUnit=713&BaseDSD=7
one or two days after the data are released. 

Integrity

Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including ...
Confidentiality of individual responses

0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics

• The Bureau of Statistics, DGBAS, Executive Yuan has to collect and publish all statistical data under the Statistics Act (Article 3).
• Individual data are not published.
• The following DGBAS websites disseminate the Statistics Act :
  http://eng.dgbas.gov.tw/public/Data/512614362871.pdf

Identification of internal government access to data before release

1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release

Information in the press release is provide, under strict embargo, an advance copy of the news release is given to the President and the Chairman of the Executive Yuan  the morning prior to release to the public on the release day.

Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases

1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products

No ministerial commentary is released with these data.  Bureau of Statistics, DGBAS, Executive Yuan provides its own analytical commentary with these data releases.

Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology

4.3.1 Revision schedule

• All seasonally adjusted and unadjusted WPI are routinely subject to revision for 3 months after original publication.  Indices are revised to reflect late reports and corrections received from respondents.  The data become final three months after initial publication.   Besides, the seasonally adjusted monthly data for the previous 5 years are revised at the time of the release of the March WPI. 
• Major program changes are made on WPI re-basing every five years.  As soon as the re-basing process is finished, the new results are announced at the upcoming February that the January data are released.

Quality

Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics

5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques

Detailed methodological document can be obtained on the Internet website
http://eng.stat.gov.tw/public/data/dgbas03/bs3/book/descriptionc.doc .

Dissemination of  that support statistical cross-checks and provide assurance of reasonableness

4.2.1 Temporal consistency

• The  ¡§Price Index¡¨ news release publishes a monthly analysis of price movements and three summary tables on the WPI.
• The  ¡§ Price Statistics Monthly¡¨ is available electronically on the Internet website one or two days after each  press release:
• The WPI, further broken down into (a) basic groups; (b) indices by waygoing and by producing place; (c) indices for domestic sales and domestic products by basic groups; (d) indices for domestic sales by stage of processing;  (e) Intermediate  Input-Output Price Indices;  (f) time series of  WPI. 
• The IPI , further broken down into (a) basic groups; (b) Indices by usage; (c) Indices by S.I.T.C.; (d)  time series of  IPI.
• The EPI , further broken down into (a) basic groups; (b) Indices by department; (c) Indices by S.I.T.C.; (d)  time series of EPI.