Statistika: Statistics and Economy Journal - No. 3/2016

National accounts provide data about the economic behaviour of the sector of households as a whole and, to a limited extent, also divided into the consumer and entrepreneur sub-sectors. Time series of the sub-sector data are short, but cover the periods of significant economic changes. It is usual that final consumption expenditure and investments grow in times of economic growth. Recessions and crises are reflected in cautious consumer activity – lower consumption and less interest in investments and consequently in loans. When the signs of a crisis occur, producers immediately reduce costs and investments, and try not to increase their indebtedness. This paper should help identify manifestations of these general observations concerning consumers' and producers' behaviour in the period from 2009 to 2014, namely, behaviour of households in the Czech Republic viewed as consumers and as entrepreneurs. The article focuses in this context also the information value of the data for subsectors.

Keywords
Households, consumer sub-sector, entrepreneur sub-sector, economic crisis

Regional price levels represent research topic that is currently under spotlight. Officially published data are focused on national price levels forming only one of the most important inputs for international comparison. Despite this, the national price levels are used to estimate regional indicators in Purchase Power Standard (PPS). Team of researchers from the University of Economics in Prague was dealing with the issue and estimated regional price levels for NUTS 3 regions in the Czech Republic for the year 2007. This estimate should be updated nevertheless the previously applied methodology cannot be used directly under current conditions but has to be adjusted because in the meantime several changes took place.
The aim of the paper is to prepare a methodological background for further computations of renewed regional price levels in the Czech Republic and to introduce the main changes that have occurred since the previous results for the year 2007 were estimated. Impacts of these changes on the results are discussed as well.

Keywords
Regional price levels, methodological issues, Czech NUTS 3 regions, comparison and update

Thermoelectric power plants need large amounts of cooling water. The energy sector is responsible for the largest annual volume of water withdrawals in the Czech Republic. The issues related to water demand and its determinants were considered in several earlier studies of thermoelectric water use. For regression model determinants describing the natural, operational and socio-economic conditions were selected. In this study, we used econometric models of water needs for energy production in thermoelectric power plants in the Czech Republic. The main purpose was to obtain a model suitable for predictions. Annual data on electricity and heat production and on water use were available for sample of 33 operational units.

Keywords
Linear regression model, water consumption, water withdrawals, energy production

An important task in econometric modelling is to determinate the integration order of analysed time series through unit root tests. Statistical theory offers a wide range of tests where the most common are Dickey-Fuller tests, Phillips-Perron test, KPSS test, and their modifications ADF-GLS test and Ng-Perron test. The choice of an appropriate one depends primarily on a subjective judgement of the analyst. If we wish to avoid the subjective choice, we need to find an objective criterion that clearly defines which test is the most suitable for specific types of time series. The goal of the article is to answer this question by a simulation study and to provide the recommendations which test is possible to use. The conclusions will be applicable for time series of lengths T = 25, ..., 500 and positive values of the autoregressive parameter AR(1).

Keywords
Unit root test, augmented Dickey-Fuller test, Phillips-Perron test, KPSS test, ADF-GLS test, NGP test, simulation, power of test, time series analysis

This paper presents ISTAT’s new strategy to enhance the statistical utilization of administrative databases, aimed at: (i) disseminating information about the existence and accessibility of administrative databases to all potential statistical users; (ii) disseminating standard documentation about the information content and the quality of the available administrative databases to all potential statistical users.
Our purpose is to supply a proper utility to all institutions and people who wish to use administrative databases for statistics, including the owner institutions themselves, which may take advantage from the availability of tools to evaluate the quality and usability of their own databases.
This goal requires a massive activity of collecting information about the existence, the content and the quality of administrative databases. For this purpose we are currently undertaking a set of related activities, ranging from surveys of the administrative databases owned by local administration agencies to dedicated inquiries on the most important administrative databases, which are managed by central administration agencies.

Keywords
Administrative databases, quality documentation, quality database

The paper considers the main developments in quality work and their impact on statistics since the first European conference on quality in statistics in 2001. In addition to the establishment of quality frameworks, the developments comprise a change of focus from quality assessments to assurance and from product quality to processes. In data collection, focus has changed from surveys to administrative registers and new data sources. National statistical institutions are not the sole producers of official statistics, and there is more attention on the whole statistical systems than before. Together with technological improvements and more use of administrative data sources, this has resulted in more statistics produced more efficiently with improved timeliness. New data sources provide new possibilities, but also challenges for quality assurance. Reflecting on these developments may guide the way forward, on creating and maintaining a culture for continuous improvement in European and national statistics.

Keywords
Quality, quality assurance, quality development, continuous improvement