Africa-Press – Tanzania. PROPER statistics to be obtained in the next year’s population and housing Census will enable the government to effectively implement the third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III), President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said.
President Samia said this yesterday when addressing a national congress of the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) held in Morogoro, noting that religious leaders have a crucial role to play to enable the country to realise development targets.
She, thus, asked the religious leaders to convince their followers to participate in the August 2022 Census, as it will assist the government in obtaining basic information that will support the process of implementing the development vision.
“The census helps the government in identifying the actual needs, making and implementing the development plans according to the need and the actual population. I call upon all religious leaders to encourage your followers to take part in next year’s exercise,” she noted.
“You are the most trusted voices in the community, your followers pay more attention to whatever you are saying. Educate your followers that this is their census as an accurate count will provide them with essential public services,” she added.
President Samia mentioned the five key focuses of the FYDP III, noting that its effective implementation requires the total cooperation from the government, private sector as well as religious leaders.
She also noted that the contribution of every citizen and development partners would be vital towards achieving the plan’s objectives. According to Ms Samia, the FYDP III envisages increasing the country’s capacity for production; building a competitive economy that will stimulate the country’s participation in trade and investment; and stimulating human development.
In her key notes to the FYDP III, the Head of State assured that her government will continue to strengthen the business and investment enabling environment through effective policies to facilitate free private sector competition.
Also, the FYDP III seeks to improve and strengthen education and training systems, including reforming the education curriculum in line with labour market demand as well as integrating research and development with productive economic activities, all of which demands a collected and well-documented census.
The economic growth at all fronts especially in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has warranted the country conduct the coming census using modern expertise.
The next year’s population and housing census will be conducted ten years after the last one that was conducted in 2012, where Tanzania had 44.9 million people. The 2022 census will be conducted digitally, with officials using tablets at all stages, with the aim of reducing costs as well as expediting the exercise.
This will be the sixth census to be held in the country after the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964.
The past ones took place in 1967, 1978, 1988, 2002 and 2012.
Speaking recently during the official launching of the 2022 Population and Housing Census Management and Implementation Strategic Handbook in Dodoma, the government Chief Statistician Dr Albina Chuwa said the pilot census is expected to be conducted in August this year.
