Information vital for development

FOR any successful country to navigate through the challenges and pitfalls of economic and social growth, it is essential for the those in power to have access to a set of reliable figures on which to refer to when choosing the course, the nation should take for the benefit of all its citizens.
Unfortunately, for Papua New Guinea, the need for reliable information has always been a problem.
With technology available through the various service providers, access to such information should be enhanced and encouraged.
A project for the civil registry of deaths and births was launched sometime back by the then National Planning and Monitoring minister and Bulolo MP Sam Basil that was to be rolled out in all wards in the country.
What was to happen was that the ward councillor will include into his ward record book how many people live there in a given time.
All new births and deaths will be recorded as well.
People recorded in the birth registry will be genuine people who live and belong to a ward in the past three months.
The book will contain information on the names of people in a ward, clans, and ethnic groups.
It will include particulars of village court officials and such information on assets, community projects and other matters relevant to the ward as determined by the minister responsible for provincial and local level government’s matters.
When the exercise was completed, it should provide the National Statics Office enough information (for) the Government to know how many people are there in a given time. That was to make it easier in terms of government planning once all wards in the country complete a similar exercise.
Every information will be recorded at the ward level by the village recorders and kept safe.
Ward recorders are the eyes and ears of the Government at ward level.
They provide the information needed for national planning purposes.
The ward record book is a one stop shop database for extracting timely, up-to-date and reliable data for evidence-based development planning and policy formulation.
It is the foundation of bottom-up planning.
The data captured in this book will enable informed decisions, equal and equitable distribution of funds and resources and realisation of targets identified in important national policies.
The ward record book (formerly known as village book) was established when the current Organic Law on Provincial and Local-level Governments was introduced in 1995.
This means it is the responsibility of the ward member (councillor) to ensure that the village book is regularly maintained and updated.
The Government should have supported the councillors and ward recorders as they collect data and statistics it needs for its (Government) work. Ward recorders should be given serious consideration because of the importance of their work.
The Government and the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs should have ensured that all ward recorders are paid their monthly allowances on time.
They are the ones who will manage their demographic information, community services, rules and laws for community peace and order; and promote greater participation in community-based programmes and projects.
In this rapidly changing world, all MPs should roll this project out in their respective wards and make the information as widely accessible as possible.
Information is vital if this country is to function and grow as well.