Marape pledges K100mil

By Rebecca Kuku
PRIME Minister James Marape, pictured, committed K100million to next year’s population and housing Census that was launched at the Stanley Hotel ans Suites in Port Moresby on Saturday.
Marape said Census was an important process that the Government attached great value to due to the need for evidence-based planning and decision-making and was a universally recognised standard for efficient management in any country.
“In acknowledging the need for the comprehensive national population and housing Census for our county, I would like to announce a commitment of K100 million on behalf of the Government for the 2020 Census,” he said.
“This funding is to support the 2020 Census operations from 2019-2022. This leaves a funding gap of K98 million.
“I therefore would like to appeal to our development partners and all the stakeholders (including corporate entities operating in the country) to partner with us in all possible ways, financially and materially, in filling this funding gap.
“Whichever gesture possible will go a long way in ensuring that together we can at the end have a successful Census to provide us with the much-needed factual information for all spheres of our development aspirations.”
Marape thanked the United Nations through their lead agency on population United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for committing technical support to ensure the quality and efficiency of the Census.
“Many, if not all, of you are aware that the UNFPA has a long history of working with different countries around the world in the undertaking of national population and housing Censuses and their assistance in the 2020 Census is well fitting,” he said.
Marape called on the people to take ownership of the Census.
He said the Census would provide key information on population and housing and that huge data set was a vital information source for the development, monitoring and evaluation of various socio-economic policies, strategies and development plans at national, sub-national and sectorial levels.
“It will allow us to see population changes in the last decade, covering many aspects of our population, including size, structure and distribution, fertility, mortality, migration trends, education, employment, and other vital information pertaining to their living conditions.”
“It is also critical for monitoring the achievement of the internationally agreed indices related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and as well as development targets which we have set for our country.”
Marape said that in 2000, the Census recorded the country’s population at close to 5.2 million.
“In the 2011 census, the population rose to over 7.2 million. It is clear that in between 2000 and 2019, a lot had changed in regard to the population and socio-economic landscape of our country.” The 2020 Census will be the fifth census conducted for the country and will cost K200m.