​​ On Thursday 19 November, 2015, the Ministry of Development Planningand Statistics  (MDPS) organized a workshop on electronic linking of statistical data with hypermarkets in Qatar.The aim of this workshop was to train participants from hypermarkets on the full linking mechanism with MDPS so as to get the prices of consumer goods electronically. The actual process of electronic linking shall start by early December for foods and personal hygiene tools, followed by other lists of goods to cover the largest possible number of goods calculated in the consumer price index.The workshop also aimed to facilitate the receipt of data by MDPS on time, thus reducing a lot of technical and administrative processes, and to raise the level of cooperation and coordination between MDPS and data sources. The participants were introduced to the electronic linking program and learned about its importance as a means of data collection.It is worth mentioning that the workshop was organized at MDPS headquarters and was attended by representatives from Al Meera Hypermarket, Lulu Hypermarket, Family Food Center and Carrefour.