West New Britain prepares for the upcoming National Population and Housing Census

West New Britain Province has planned to utilize the public service machinery to carry out the census population count.

The province is taking a whole of government approach towards implementing the National Population and Housing Census, which commences next week.

Provincial Member, Sasindran Muthuvel and Provincial Administrator, Leo Mapmani jointly issued directives to all public servants with the Provincial Administration to assist with census operations.

Public servants will be engaged in the actual conduct of the census activities and government vehicles and boats will assist with logistics.

With limited funding to implement the household and population census , the province is optimistic in implementing the census activity through a whole government approach.

Provincial Census Coordinator, Chris Marisa told a recent Provincial Coordination and Monitoring Committee that the province is currently drawing down funds from an initial funding of K500 thousand released by the Provincial Government weeks ago.

This is part of the K1.4 million funding by the Provincial Government.

Mr Marisa explained that the National Statistical Office is yet to provide its K1.8 million component of the provincial census budget allocation although it has supported with training of census officials and providing census materials.

He added that with these constraints, a whole of government approach is needed.

In agreement with Mr Marisa, the Provincial Administrator, Leo Mapmani said, “we will scale down on all our activities and get prepared to support this census activity.

A total of 186 census teams are expected to be deployed in the province for the two weeks of National Population and Housing Census operations.