Africa-Press – Tanzania. PREPARATIONS for the national population census for both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar are at an advanced stage, with areas currently being segmented for pilot work.
Speaking separately during a visit to Muheza Street in Kibaha Town over the weekend, Commissioner for Population Census for the Mainland, Ms Anna Makinda and Ambassador Mohammed Ali Hamza from Zanzibar, said next year’s census exercise will be conducted efficiently to cover all parts of the country.
“Conducting national census is a very sensitive matter and requires seriousness to come up with good results.
In the forthcoming census, the government is determined to make sure that all Tanzanians in rural and urban areas are reached with ease…we are currently dividing areas to be used for piloting work,” she pointed out.
On his part, Ambassador Hamza said the coming census will be conducted in August next year, and preceded by pilot exercise beginning next month in different selected areas in the country.
“Coming up with actual number of people in our respective areas is very crucial for the government to plan development projects.
The forthcoming census will be conducted in a more sophisticated way so that we come up with good results, which will help us in our different development plans,” he noted.
Ms Tumaini Komba, a Cartographer from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said they started the exercise with drawing and producing maps of Kibaha Town Council as a pilot study from June 18, this year.
She further said: “We have already covered all its 73 streets and it was successful. Leaders of this area have given us good support and we are grateful.”
However, she hinted that in the coming census satellite images will also be used to capture actual features in respective areas, including names of the streets, valleys, and buildings for better results.
Recently, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said proper statistics to be obtained in the next year’s population and housing Census would enable the government to effectively implement the third National Five- Year Development Plan (FYDP III).
President Samia noted that the exercise will assist the government to obtain basic information that will support the process of implementing the development vision.
“The census will help the government to identify the actual needs, make and implement development plans according to the needs and the actual population spread on the ground,” she said.
Elaborating, the head of state said the five key focuses of the FYDP III will require total cooperation from the government, private sector as well as religious leaders in implemenations.
Delivering a Parliamentary adjournment speech in Dodoma, last month, the Prime Minister Kassim said the sixth Population and Housing Census in Tanzania will help the government to obtain basic information, necessary in its implementation of National Development Vision, 2025.
Hence, he called upon Tanzanians to prepare for the early preparations that will allow the government to come up with accurate information during the exercise, saying “I want to urge the public to spare the day for such an important thing.”
