National Population and Housing Census Clerk, Wisdom Eliya writing down the information from Mariam Bakari at her home place in Kunduchi, Dar es Salaam on August 24. PHOTO|ERICKY BONIPHACE
Dar es Salaam. The government yesterday said the ongoing Population and Housing Census has reached 54 percent of execution.
Also, through the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the government outlined measures that would ensure all Tanzanians are counted including provision of call numbers and directing citizens to report to street or village local government offices.
Briefing the media in Dodoma yesterday, Statistician General Albina Chuwa issued a warning to clerks who will fail to meet set targets. “Clerks working in urban areas who will fail to meet the 150 household daily target and rural designated counterparts who will not count 100 households per day will not be paid their final allowances,” she warned.
Without providing new figures and declining questions from journalists, Dr Chuwa was on Thursday quoted by the media as saying that at least 22 million people had been enumerated countrywide.
Read: At least 22 million counted so far in national census
But, speaking with The Citizen yesterday, the National Census Coordinator, Mr Seif Kuchengo said the exercise that commenced on Tuesday, August 23 was progressing well.
“Through 205,000 coordinators and clerks, the government is comfortable that the regional and nationwide counting targets will be reached. Generally, the exercise is progressing well both in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar,” he said over the phone.
Furthermore, Mr Kuchengo said today the government will provide phone numbers that will enable uncounted citizens to communicate with authorities, provide their details in order to be enrolled in the database of counted Tanzanians.
“Also, uncounted citizens will be allowed to visit local government offices at their respective areas (villages and streets) in order to provide their status. Government officers will link them with census clerks who will collect their information,” he said.
On a similar day, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa directed regional commissioners to cooperate with the Census Committee in ensuring that all households are reached and people counted.
In a bid to expedite the census exercise, Mr Majaliwa directed all RCs to strengthen communication units in their areas of jurisdiction so that they can address arising hitches that were impeding clerks in executing their duties.
It was on that background that the Premier issued the directive to RCs on Thursday here in the city during their virtual meeting.
“When it clocks 8pm, I want every region to have the census statistics at hand for the given day,” directed the Premier.
“This will help us to identify challenges and immediately find solutions to ease work the following day.”
He also ordered district and regional census committees to follow up closely the ongoing exercise so that at the end of each day they would be in the position to compile a comprehensive report.
“This will give confidence to enumerators because they will be aware that their work is being monitored closely on a daily basis,” he asserted.
A spot-check by The Citizen since the start of the census exercise noted that the challenges facing enumerators included large size of some households, hence, forcing them to spend too much time; tablets batteries dying out due to lack of power banks; some citizens not being around in their homes; delayed allowances; and ill-preparations by some citizens.
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