. Stats SA indicated that the strategic plan did not sufficiently impact on what the detailed demands of the organisation were. . Stats SA noted that the difference between statistics from SARS and that of Stats SA were because tax returns may reflect the same individual twice. Stats SA had done some work to harmonise these figures. . Stats SA reported that it measured the informal sector through the quarterly labour force survey for which it had a very detailed methodology. However, there was not a register of the informal sector since its members were usually below the tax net in terms of turnover. The only way in which this information could be gathered was through a survey such as the quarterly labour force survey. Stats SA followed up on these households that had indicated a form of business activity. . Stats SA indicated that, in terms of employment statistics, discussion facilitated by a think-tank in which a number of people participated, including labour economists and other economists, from both academia and the private sector. Stats SA and SARS numbers needed to be expanded. . Stats SA indicated it had a very robust method by which it ran its measurements. This method was peer reviewed, with assistance from experts from across the world on re-engineering the quarterly labour force survey in order to run it twice a year. An increase in the sample phase might be welcomed to try and achieve statistical significance, particularly in provinces where it was not achieved. . Stats SA reported that it had about 4 000 staff members, with a vacancy rate of about 8 per cent. One of the measures that it had taken in the 2012 calendar year was to deliberately not recruit more people. However, beyond 2012, Stats SA would reprioritise. To retain staff, Stats SA had an internal training programme. . Stats SA indicated that South Africa had the best position in the world in terms of the separation of political power from the production of statistics. . Stats SA reported that it was an international best practice to update the price indices in terms of the basket of goods that was being priced on a periodic basis and it was time to change the basket of the CPI. The PPI would be dismantled into five separate indices, resulting in a greater correlation with the CPI. . Stats SA indicated that peer reviews that took place both within the United Nations (UN) system and by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the standardised data dissemination system were fundamentally important. It was important for Stats SA to issue statistics that was needed for informed policy making.