[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67095-67096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33445]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format,
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized,
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed revision of the ``International Price Program--
U.S. Import Price Indexes.''
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be
obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the addressee
section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before February 23, 1998.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in
comments which:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Karin G. Kurz, BLS Clearance Officer,
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255,
2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20212. Ms. Kurz can be
reached on 202-606-7268 (this is not a toll free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The U.S. Import Price Indexes, produced continuously by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics' International Price Program (IPP) since 1971,
measure price change over time for all categories of imported products,
as well as many services. The Office of Management and Budget has
listed the Import Price Indexes as a major economic indicator since
1982.
The indexes are widely used in both the public and private sectors.
The primary public sector use is deflation of the U.S. Trade statistics
and the Gross Domestic Product; the indexes also are used in
formulating U.S. trade policy
[[Page 67096]]
and in trade negotiations with other countries. In the private sector,
uses of the Import Price Indexes include market analysis, inflation
forecasting, contract escalation, and replacement cost accounting.
The International Price Program indexes are viewed as a sensitive
indicator of the economic environment. The Department of Commerce uses
the monthly statistics to produce monthly and quarterly estimates of
inflation-adjusted trade flows. Without continuation of data
collection, it would be extremely difficult to construct accurate
estimates of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. In addition, Federal
policy-makers in the Department of the Treasury, the Council of
Economic Advisors, and the Federal Reserve Board utilize these
statistics on a regular basis to improve these agencies' formulation
and evaluation of monetary and fiscal policy, and evaluation of the
general business environment.
Current Actions
The IPP continues to modernize data collection and processing to
permit more timely release of its indexes and to reduce reporter
burden. The IPP is using the telephone rather than personal visits for
new item initiation in limited situations. We believe that initiation
by telephone reduces reporting burden with no loss in response. Other
potential initiation techniques to reduce burden being reviewed include
less frequent sampling of more stable item areas, use of broader item
areas in certain cases, and retention of items initiated in previous
samples. To reduce the time required for processing new items, direct
entry of initiation data from the field will be tested. Also, for
repricing, the use of fax telephone lines to permit direct collection
and entry into our database is being considered. In addition, use of
the Internet for monthly repricing is being reviewed, contingent upon
the resolution of questions relating to the security of the data.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: International Price Program/U.S. Import Product Information.
OMB Number: 1220-0026.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
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Average Estimated
Total Total time per total
Form respondents Frequency annual response burden
responses (hours) (hours)
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Form 2894B......................... 1725 Annually.................. 1725 1 1725
Form 3008.......................... 1725 Annually.................. 1725 .334 576.15
Form 3007D......................... 3235 Monthly, quarterly........ 38540 .56 21582.4
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Total.......................... 4960 41,990 23884
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Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a
matter of public record.
Signed at Washington, D.C., this 18th day of December, 1997.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 97-33445 Filed 12-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M
