[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 78 (Friday, April 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21477-21478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9977]


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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 
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. 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 in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.

DATES:  Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before June 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  Send comments to Sytrina D. Toon, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20212, telephone number 
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Sytrina D. Toon, BLS Clearance 
Officer, telephone number 202-691-7628. (See Addresses section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  

I. Background

    The U.S. Import Price Indexes, produced continuously by the Bureau 
of Labor Statistic's 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 Principal Federal Domestic 
Indicator since 1982. The indexes are widely used in both the public 
and private sectors. The primary public sector use is the deflation of 
the U.S. Trade Statistics and the Gross Domestic Product; the indexes 
also are used in formulating U.S. trade policy 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 IPP indexes are closely followed statistics, and are viewed as 
a sensitive indicator of the economic environment. The U.S. Department 
of Commerce uses the monthly statistics to produce monthly and 
quarterly estimate 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 policymakers in the Department of Treasury, the 
Council of Economic Advisers, 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.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    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;

[[Page 21478]]

     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.

III. Current Action

    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 testing initiation techniques to reduce burden such 
as less frequent sampling of more stable item areas, use of broader 
item areas in certain cases, and retention of items initiated in 
previous samples that reporters still trade. In order to reduce the 
time required for processing new items, direct entry of initiation data 
from the field was recently implemented. The IPP is testing the 
application of new technology to repricing and the use of fax telephone 
lines to permit direct collection and entry into the BLS reporters' 
repricing database. The IPP also is considering use of the Internet for 
monthly repricing.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: International Price Program/U.S. Import Price Indexes.
    OMB Number: 1220-0026.
    Affected Public: Business or other for profit.
    Total Respondents: (FY 2000) 4,935.
    Frequency: Quarterly/Monthly.
    Total Responses: (FY 2001) 40,240.
    Average Time Per Response: 36.18 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: (FY 2001) 24,246 hours.

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                                                                                                                                  Average     Estimated
                                                              Total                                                   Total       time per      total
                           Form                            respondents                   Frequent                   responses     response      burden
                                                                                                                                  (hours)      (hours)
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Initiation Visit (includes form 3008)....................        1,700  annually.................................        1,700         1.00        1,700
Form 3007D...............................................        3,235  Monthly/quarterly........................       38,540         .585       22,546
                                                          -------------                                           -------------             ------------
    Totals...............................................        4,935  .........................................       40,240  ...........       24,246
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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 Budge 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of April 2000.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 00-9977 Filed 4-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M