The East New Britain Provincial Administration (ENBPA) is partnering with the PNG National Statistical Office (NSO) to roll out the 2024 National Census in the province.
A memorandum of agreement was signed in Kokopo this week between the ENB Provincial Administrator, Levi Mano and the NSO, represented by its National Census Director, Hajily Kele.
The MoA will see the two government agencies collaborate in the census exercise through budget, data sharing and asset.
Ms Kele said though the national census is conducted every 10 years, there have been queries from the ENB Provincial Administrator as to what can be done within the 10-year period.
She then urged everyone to participate, as per the theme of the 2024 National Census ‘Be counted, No One Left Behind’, and further acknowledged the support from stakeholders – both domestic and international partners – like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the US Census Bureau.
“The success of this 2024 National Census hinges on the participation of every citizen of our country. ENBPA’s invitation for the NSO to sign the MoA shows the level of ownership by the province, in terms of conducting the census. This is because the data comes back to the provinces to use,” she said.
Kele said provinces should take ownership of the data and use it for planning purposes.
Provincial Administrator, Levi Mano, said though the national census occurs every 10 years, this year it falls in the same year as the LLG Elections, and thus people need to understand and differentiate between these two national events.
“Common roll update is for the elections, while data collection in the Census exercise is for development purposes in the country,” he added.
“In East New Britain, we have a growing population and are facing a lot of issues, with law and order problems in the community and the state of the economy; it is not where it used to be in the past.”
He further urged parents and leaders in the communities to play their part and ensure every person in their family is counted in this year’s national census, set for June.
The MoA signing was followed by a float that began in Kokopo, then proceeded to Gazelle and Rabaul districts, to create awareness about the National Census within the urban centres and the rural communities.