The people of Eastern Highlands Province will now have a Ward Record Book to collect and update the population statistics of the people in the province.
This was made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding signing between the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government, and the Department of Provincial & Local Level Government Affairs in Port Moresby today.
Having a Ward Record Book is a first of its kind record keeping exercise for the Eastern Highlands Province.
Deputy Secretary for the Department of Provincial & Local Level Government Affairs, Larson Thomas said every council ward must have a data system.
“There must be a data-based system in every council ward in the country. This initiative is the national government program that we will be rolling in EHP,” he said.
Eastern Highlands Governor, Simon Sia witnessed the signing. He said the province’s population statistics is not updated.
“A lot of time people ask me about the population of Eastern Highland which I often gave the guess figure,” he said.
The Governor said EHP is the second biggest province in the country and the program will ensure the population data is accessible starting from the ward level.
Meanwhile, as an independent establishment, the PNG Electoral Commission will not sign the MoU, but has witnessed and acknowledges this MOU.
Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai said the provincial affairs is the structure that the Electoral Commission, the PNG Civil and Identity Registry, PNG Census, and the Education and Health Department depend on.
Sinai said LLG structures are important for development and challenged stakeholders to utilize well the Ward Record Book.