Hon. Veronica Alele Heming, the Bole District Chief Executive, has advised the people of Bole and its environs to endeavour to make themselves available for counting in this year’s population census.
Speaking on the launch of 30 days into the Census Night which has been launched at the District level by the Bole District Assembly in the Savannah Region on 28th May, 2021, she said it was the civic responsibility of the people to participate in the upcoming population and housing census.
Madam Veronica said the census, which would be organised by the Ghana Statistical Service, would enable the country to know its exact population for proper and effective planning.
“The census is also key to promoting food security and reducing poverty and hunger, among other issues,” she said adding that it was acknowledged globally as the most effective approach to policy and decision making.
According to her, the 2021 Population and Housing Census, which begins on the night of Sunday June 27, will be the first fully digital census, with the use of tablets for data capture instead of traditional paper questionnaires.
It will also use Geographic Positioning System (GPS) to capture the location of all structures, and employ interactive area maps for accurate identification of enumeration and supervision areas.
Hon. Veronica added that the PHC of 2021 will also see the implementation, for the first time, data linkage technology that is intended to harmonize and improve statistics.
She said the questionnaires have also been expanded to include comprehensive information on key areas to support the tracking of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators such as housing and living conditions, water and sanitation.
When completed and analysed, the Census is expected to provide comprehensive and reliable data to both the private and public sectors to inform policy and programme formulation to spur economic growth and development. The data collected on socioeconomic and housing conditions will allow for the identification of vulnerable individuals, groups, and households for targeted policy and programme interventions, she noted.
“The 2021 Census will provide important data for the formulation of policies to transform Ghana’s economy and spur economic development. Knowing the dynamics of how the population is changing helps us in planning our education needs, where to locate health facilities, how to allocate our social expenditures and identify those who need help the most in our society,” she emphasised.
She said that listing of structures will commence on June 13 to June 20 while the enumeration will start from 28th June to 11th July, 2021 and hence urged the general public to participate fully in the exercise.
The National Census should have taken place in 2020 but the Coronavirus pandemic delayed the process and
this year’s Census would be the sixth conducted in Ghana since the post-independence era.
The nation conducted National Census in 1960, 1970, 1984, 2000 and 2010.
Ghana’s population has since moved from 6.7 million in 1960 to 24.6 million in 2010 and currently estimated at 30 million.
Source: yagbonradioonline
