VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) shifted several business processes in conducting surveys to accrue and calculate data on the most recent economic developments.

"The challenges are almost similar to those being experienced by other statistics offices owing to the application of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB)," BPS Head Suhariyanto remarked during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Suhariyanto noted that the BPS had begun gathering information from sources without relying on face-to-face interviews and instead conducting them telephonically or via e-mail and other online platforms.

"Data gathering through face-to-face interviews was halted in compliance with the health protocols, as the respondents would be reluctant to meet," he pointed out.

The BPS adopted this method to collect data for publications on big data review against the COVID-19 impact and the socio-demographic survey in connection with the impact of the pandemic.

A similar approach will also applied by the bureau to complete the census data of citizens in September 2020 conducted through the online means.

"For continuation of the census, we will totally scrap face-to-face interviews, as we will provide questionnaires to the neighborhood heads, particularly for respondents that have yet to participate in the online method," he explained.

Suhariyanto further expounded that such method of data gathering was more effectual, as it lowered costs, especially at a time when the BPS had re-directed some of its budget for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We also conduct several online trainings that result in extraordinary efficiency," he stated. (ANTARA)