Shadow Minister for Administrative Services Keith Iduhu while commending the government for reaffirming the importance of delivering the 2024 Census, expressed concerns in the organisation and sentiments being expressed in the countdown to the census.
Iduhu made this remark after Prime Minister James Marape released a statement last week on the census, stating that K200 million was allocated to implement the census.
However, after verifying with the application in the 2024 budget, the National Statistics Office (NSO) is only set to receive K100 million, after being allocated K50 million last year.
“This means that in total, NSO has only been allocated a total of K150 million in 2023 and 2024. No additional funds can be drawn to support the census through NSO since it has not been budgeted, unless the government aims to bring forth a supplementary budget,” he said.
Iduhu said K50 million was allocated to NSO for the census as outlined in the budget and confirmed by the Prime Minister.
“We are now 93 days away from the start of the census period and we have not seen any awareness carried out, no sign of the methodology being used, no sign of recruitment of volunteers and so on.
“So my question is what exactly was the K50 million spent on, and how can we ensure that the K100 million will produce results.
“In addition, I find it atrocious that we are giving money to this important event in drips and drabs and not in a coordinated and timely manner.
Iduhu said a nationwide event like this will require massive logistical apparatus similar to the elections.
“If 100 million is sufficient, then I hope it is spent in an appropriate manner and according to budget,” Iduhu added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Administrative Services Richard Masere has refuted claims by Iduhu on the unpreparedness of the 2024 National Population Census.
Masere confirmed that the budget committed by the National Government for the National Population Census is K200 million.
- The Budget for 2023 was K50 million but only K35 million was received
- Budget for 2024 was K153 million. The appropriation was K100 million and NSO received K40 million already
- Budget for 2023-2025 was K257million
- National Statistical Office received K75 million with a funding gap of K123 million to be released progressively in 2024.
“NSO is capitalising on the available funding to maximise important areas in awareness, recruitment, procurement, logistics, training and the use of Computer Assisted Personal Interviews to conduct Census successfully,” Masere said
Minister Masere added that the National Population Census will be launched by the Prime Minister on the 27th of March and the Reference Night will be on the 16th of June 2024. The actual counting will start on 17th June to 01st July 2024.