quality, make the calculation of price indexes very complex; (d) Prices of goods and services bought by the military sector are in many cases not subject to market price formation. This may be because they are either planned or subsidized by a central authority. These differences create particular problems when it comes to determining the prices which would be most suitable for international comparisons of military expenditures. 44. For a further discussion of the above-mentioned methodological issues, reference is made to the preceding report of 1982 of the Group of Experts (A/S-12/7, annex, paras. 60 to 124 and working Paper III). +/ CHAPTER III COLLECTION AND TREATMENT OF DATA A. Introduction 45. As mentioned earlier (see para. 22 above), the Secretary-General undertook, as a first step, to ascertain the willingness of States to participate in the exercise of the Group of Experts. The States which decided to do so were Australia, Austria, Finland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United Kinqdom and the United States. 46. As a next step, with a view to facilitating the collection of information and the collaboration of participating States with the Group of Experts, all participants were asked by the Secretary-General, on behalf of the Group, to name a contact point for establishing direct and permanent relations between the Group and the respective States. 47. The Group communicated with the contacts by letter and questionnaire and, in addition, through meetings between contacts and the Group's Chairman and consultant. These meetings provided the opportunity to explain on the spot the main features of the exercise and to discuss the nature of the information the Group wished to obtain. This procedure considerably improved mutual understanding of the problems relating to the selection and furnishing of adequate information. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the challenges and methods involved in collecting and comparing data on military expenditures across different countries. It highlights the complexities of calculating price indexes and the difficulties in determining suitable prices for international comparisons. The text also mentions the importance of establishing direct and permanent relations between the Group of Experts and participating countries to facilitate the collection of information. Based on this, it can be hypothesized that the text is related to the field of international relations, specifically in the context of military spending and its measurement.

**Category**
International trade, Industry