PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has commended Tanzanians for their full cooperation in the 2022 Population and Housing Census (PHC), saying the exercise has recorded a huge success.
She also emphasised that those who are yet to be reached out by the census enumerators should make better use of the extended seven days by reporting to their local leaders for their information to be recorded in the national count.
She made the statement on Saturday in Zanzibar during the climax of the Kizimkazi day that was marked alongside launching of several development projects aimed to improve provision of social services, culture promotion and uplift the living standard of the people.
“I would love to use this platform to thank all Tanzanians for their participation in the national census, the clerks received full cooperation in all households, this is so encouraging,” she said.
Adding; “The cooperation has been observed in both population and housing census, I urge those who are yet to be reached by the census enumerators to show up in these additional days for their information to be included in the exercises”.
On Wednesday last week, the Government Chief Statistician from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Dr Albina Chuwa said the census which kicked off country wide on August 23 this year, is almost complete.
According to her, by Wednesday last week, the population census had reached 99.93 per cent countrywide and that the remaining 0.07 per cent would be covered by tomorrow.
The development follows the government’s decision to extend the exercise for seven more days to enable all people to be counted.
The 2022 PHC was scheduled to end on August 29 but the government extended the time to cover the remaining per cent.
Dr Chuwa called on citizens who are yet to be counted to alert their village, division and ward leaders so that they could be reached.
The census implemented at a cost of 400bn/- has received good response from the public. Dr Chuwa said the remaining per cent will be covered through phones because a temporary contract with the census clerks ended on Friday.
“Anyone who would not have been reached should report to their street, village, division or ward leaders between tomorrow (Friday) and Monday so that they can make some arrangement on how they can be counted,” insisted Dr Chuwa.
She said as of Wednesday morning, 6,351,927 buildings and premises were counted out of 12.7 million targeted buildings as per postcode address estimates.
Dr Chuwa said since independence, this year’s population and housing census is the first one to be carried out digitally which has helped to minimise cost for the exercise.
She said based on mathematics, the demographic survey is almost done but they have decided to cover the remaining few people as planned.
The DG said after Monday they will compile the data before handing over the report to the Head of State, President Samia.
“We are pleased with the response from ‘wananchi’ and it all came as a result of a massive education campaign initiated by the government, to enlighten people on the significance of PHC in relation to their daily lives,” she added.
