EHP population third highest in PNG

National, Normal
Source:

By ZACHERY PER

EASTERN Highlands province’s population is increasing at an average of 3.6% per annum and it is the third highest natural population growth in PNG.
Eastern Highlands provincial police administrator Munare Uyassi confirmed this at the official launch of 2010 Population Census for the province in Goroka yesterday.
“From 1980 to 1990, we had an annual growth rate of 0.8%; from 1990 to 2000 it increased to 3.6%.
“Our last population was 432,972 people with 15,409 households in eight rural local level governments and two urban local level governments.
“Today, we have 22 LLGs and two urban LLGs.
“We will see what happened in the last 10 years (2000-10) through this national census. We need people from all sectors to take ownership and make this project ‘2010 National Census’ become a real success,” Mr Uyassi said.
He said preparation for the census in Eastern Highlands had begun and on July 11, officials would be out in the villages to do the count.
He said the census figures were important for planning developments in district levels which would be conducted from each council wards to the district, provincial and national levels.
Highlands 2010 national census coordinator Gabriel Don said the census figures would be vital information to back the Government’s Vision 2050 to plan for developments.
“Without the success of the 2010 National Census, we cannot achieve vision 2050, medium term development strategies and other development plans.
“Public servants have big responsibilities to perform in this exercise,” Mr Don said.
He said another survey currently underway which would complement the census was the household expenditure survey.
EHP census steering committee chairman John Gimisive said they would rely on the officers and the people in wards and LLGs and census coordinators.
Mr Uyassi officially launched the census for the province at the Steak House in Goroka.
It was witnessed by LLG presidents and district administrators.