Background information
The following information appeared in the September 2003 quarter CPI Hot off the Press.
Statistics New Zealand is scheduled to begin work on a review of the CPI, with the aim of introducing the revised index in 2006. A CPI Revision Advisory Committee will be convened in 2004 to advise on the form and content of the index. The work of the committee will be supported by Statistics New Zealand, which prepares or commissions papers on matters relevant to the committee's brief. Recommendations based on these documents and the expertise of the committee members will then be formulated, published and tabled in Parliament. The recommendations from this committee will play a significant part in shaping the revised CPI. Similar committees have been called regularly since 1971.
Nominations have been sought from the wider community of CPI stakeholders. The Government Statistician intends to appoint 6 to 8 members who will bring both professional expertise and the confidence of the stakeholders to the review process. In addition, an international price index expert has been invited to join the committee. The committee's Terms of Reference have been included below.
There will also be a public submissions process that will provide an opportunity for those interested to contribute to the CPI review. The public will be notified as research papers prepared for the committee become available. These papers will be posted on the Statistics New Zealand website.