New data system for stats office

 The National Statistic Office has launched a new data system called the ‘Community Profile System’ when honoring the World Population Day in Port Moresby last Friday.

Acting National Statistician Roko Koloma said the system is able to make statistical table of socio-economical information that are collected at the lowest or village level in the country.

The statistics office had organised the geographical area for statistical purposes into 22 provinces, 87 districts, 326 LLGs, 6083 wards and 27,478 census units or village.

He said the system can help decision makers in accordance with the organic law on the provincial and LLG for resource allocation per head in the ward.

 “The current data system is helpful because it includes information and figures that are vital from the lowest geographical or village level,” Kolomo said.

 The information in the system contains three pointers; 

• The population, by age and sex; 
• household and economic activity; and, 
•  Literacy and Education Information.

“After 31 years (and) from the last four census in 1980, PNG’s population has grown or doubled from three million to exactly 7.2 million today. The current annual growth has increased from 2.5 to 3.1%,” he said. 

He said the demographic survey indicates that, for fertility rate, an average of every PNG women bear four children.

“The challenge is many people insist to return further census information, which delays confirmed figures to update the statistical data for the national census,” he said.

If young people are included and have fare chance in decision making, they would contribute effectively for a sustainable development.

He thanked the continuous government support through the Minister for National Planning Charles Abel, and the technical support from UNFPA to release new set of data from the National Population and Housing Census.