Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The ongoing Population Estimation Survey (PES)has stalled due to inadequate funding as the government failed to avail cash needed to carry out the exercise.
South Sudan which still relied on the pre-independence housing and population census carried out in 2008, launched its first ever population estimation survey to ascertain the size of the current population. The exercise was initially estimated to cost1.7 million U.S. dollars last six months.
However, according to Isaiah Chol Aruai, thechairperson of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS),the exercise has been delayedby financial constraints due to lack of contribution from the government, with onlythe data collection stage having been accomplished so far.
“The data is being cleaned and thereafter will be analyzed and the report written. So, those are the stages (yet to be completed),but funding is the constraint. Contribution on the part of government is yet to be received. We have not received any money from the government.so, the delay is partly due to lack of money,” he said.
The NBS chief revealed the survey receive funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to carry out the activities. During the launch of the exercisenearly seven monthsago, Dr. James Wani Igga, the Vice President for Economic Cluster, said the surveywould help the government carry out populationcensus in 2022.
The country is expected to go for general elections in2023 at the end of the current transitional period according to the peaceagreement. The 2008 housing and populationcensus placed South Sudan’s population at 8.26 million people, consisting of4.29 million males and 3.97 million females.
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