NISR reassures people on census
There are still misconceptions about the census among the population. (file photo)
At 50 days to the fourth population and housing census (PHC), the national institute of statistics declared that the institution is well advanced in its preparations.
“We are making sure that people understand the importance of the census so as for them to cooperate with the enumerators,” explained Yusuf Murangwa the director general of NISR.
He further stated that normally the whole preparation of conducting a census takes four years and in accordance to UN’s regulations, it must take place at least once in a decade. “We are the middle of the process. This is the very important part of it, as it concerns the census itself.”
Moreover, Murangwa announced that the census will start on August 16, by the listing and numbering of households which will take 1 week, and the census itself will last for 2 weeks.
“In this census we have anticipated two potential misconceptions: The understanding of the question asked and answered. In order to solve this issue, we have planned a 2 weeks training for our enumerators in order to make them understand the reasons behind every question,” Murangwa said.
Another misconception was anticipated and it concerns the reasons behind the census. “Some think that we want to put them into categories depending on their wealthy which would lead them to cheating”, explained Murangwa adding that none of these cases is valid.
“We want everyone to provide truthful information, because findings will be confidential in that sense that it won’t expose findings by family in individuals.”
Explaining the census night, NISR officials said that it is the night which proceeds the first day of the census. “It is the reference night where we will get the snapshot of the whole country. That will be the 15-16 August night,” stressed NISR’s Murangwa.
In this night, citizens are required to have records of three main things: all residents in a family house who slept at home that night, all residents who were absent that particular night and all visitors who slept home that night.
According to Prosper Mutijima, the Coordinator of the Fourth PHC, the latter will make Rwanda know what progress it had reached, and therefore assess the way forward in its different developmental programs (Vision 2020, EDPRS, DDP…)
“This Census will assess the actual status of the country’s developmental programs. For example we’ll provide the number of the remaining grass-thatched houses (Nyakatsi) and their whereabouts, the number of phone users, Radio and TV audiences, and internet subscribers.”
In addition, the PHC will provide data on health insurance, vulnerable people (orphans, widows, disabled, etc), and the country’s unemployment rate.
The National Institute of Statistics declared they have already acquired the whole budget, amounting at US$ 27 Million (Frw 16.3b), from the Rwandan government, UNFPA, European Union, etc.
Posted by Jean-Christophe Nsanzimana
on Jul 17 2012. Filed under Daily News, National.
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