Census may be postponed to next year, Basil says

THE Papua New Guinea National Census will probably be postponed to next year but the Government is yet to make a decision, says National Planning and Monitoring Minister Sam Basil.
Basil, when asked yesterday in Lae, said he would not elaborate further on the census until the National Executive Council (NEC) approved it.
He said in spite of the likely postponement, data collection was important and would continue.
“I will now bring this to the attention of the cabinet for deliberation and then make an official announcement on the dates of this important national event,” Basil said.
Asked if there was the possibility that people without NID (national identification) cards would not be eligible to vote in the 2022 National Elections, Basil said the elections would be conducted more effectively if people (voters) could be identified through their NID cards.
“We have experienced in the last elections where people using different names (ghost names) and casting their votes more than once which is not good and with NID now, it will be one person, one vote.”
Meanwhile, acting register general Noel Mobiha announced that NID staff in Morobe had been working tirelessly to upload the system with information for NID cards.
He said the redevelopment of the NID regional office in Lae would be completed in the next six weeks.
“After the completion of this project, we are expecting to register 600 people per day, unlike before where only 300 were registered.”