Residents in Moresby South refuse to be counted in Census
It's the final week of the National Census and while the electorates of the nation's capital are making slow but steady progress, they continue to face challenges like the refusal by some residents to register their households.
NBC News was on hand and witnessed a household in Moresby South's Korobosea Ward 3a refusing to register their household, because of the manual inputting of data by census workers.
This ward covers Korobosea, YWCA and Air Niugini Village
Supervisor for Moresby South Ward 3A, Baki Lesnai told NBC News - they've faced similar incidents last week when carrying out this important national exercise:
"The areas that we have been to, we have been questioned, where are the tablets that costed 17 million kina? You are supposed to have the tablets with you to enter our details like name and date of birth, with just your piece of paper, we will not give you any information about our household.
He continues "Just a while ago, we went into another area, and we were told the same. People are refusing to give us their household information."
He says, besides challenges in registering residents - the census workers have not been issued contract forms as proof of their engagement, together with a lack of field and meal allowances.
He adds that a total of K90 was paid to them for the last week:
"We are complaining about not signing a contract with the NSO. The contract will identify how much we are to be paid; this is not the case with NSO.
"Yet at the end of each day we are required to compile the days report and we will do it again tomorrow, they have also not provided our needs and wants", a softly spoken Mr Lesnai said of the NSO
Census data collection for residents in Moresby South ward 3 is progressing, with three more census units of Lalaura and Air Niugini Villages 1 and 2 to complete in the coming days.
Mr Lesnai told NBC News his team began work on Tuesday but had to stop on Friday due to various issues.
He says, they covered Korobosea village 1, Korobosea look-out, YWCA, and are now at Korobosea Drive:
"We will start at where we left on Friday. If we have enough time, we will move to Lalaura and then to Air Niugini village 1 then Air Niugini village 2, we have three areas yet to cover. We had been given eight areas to cover.
The team did not work on the weekend.
Lesnai however fears at the rate the team is going at, there is a need for an extension of the deadline to a week or two more:
"On the instructions we were told that we will do three attempts. We are underway with the first attempt, we have not done the second attempt and we are already into the second week, we have not reached the third attempt too.
" So, we are asking for an extension of one or two weeks to complete the household census because everyone must be counted".
NBC News is seeking comments from the National Statistics Office.
Residents particularly, in the Moresby South electorate, have been urged to co-operate with census workers when they do door-to-door for household data collection and registration.
This is week 2 and work has been delayed due to various factors, among them - the late dispatch of materials and logistics, trainings and allowances to start on time last Monday
Supervisor for Moresby South Ward 3A , Baki Lesnai made this call, after refusals by several residents to speak to them for various reasons.
Mr. Lesnai says, people need to understand the importance of this national exercise and assist the workers:
"This is an important exercise, everyone and this includes the old, women, men and children must be counted. You are a citizen of this country and if your government is asking for this information, please give the required information. This is your country", Mr Lesnai appealed.