End of Pilot Household Budget Survey

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. 2
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.