Prime Minister participates in the launch of the Census of Population and Housing 2015
The Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo, participated in the launch of the Timor-Leste’s National Population and Housing 2015, held at the Government Palace, on June 8th.
This year’s census will be held across the national territory, between July 11th and July 24th, under the motto “From the People, for the People: Participate!”
The launching act was presided over by the Vice President of the National Parliament, Member of Parliament Adérito Hugo, being attended, amongst others, by the Prime Minister, the Minister of State Administration, Dionísio Babo Soares, CPLP guests, heads of Suco, Municipality Administrators, heads of villages, community policemen, United Nations agencies and representatives of the communities.
In his speech, the Head of the Executive said: "When a census is held, the enumerators ask for detailed information about the number of people living inside each house, their age and occupation. We call on all people to participate, by fulfilling their duty as citizens and contributing to the development of our country”.
The Head of the Government still highlighted that "the census, also called censuses, are very important within a nation, to know what is owned: how many families we have; how many citizens; how many men and women; how many children under the age of five and less than one year; how many young people. All this information will facilitate the work of the State in fulfilling its plan, programs and projects towards national development".
The Head of the Executive highlighted that the process of preparing a census involves a very complex work and that the current census had been prepared over several years.
Rui Maria de Araújo assured the population that the information which will be collected by the data collectors will not be used by the State to tax collection, therefore all citizens must provide accurate information on everything they ask.
“Population may provide all information to the enumerators, because this information will always be confidential. When data is brought into the statistics, it automatically enters the computers and the providers of this information are not identified. We will use this data to make a projection of global wealth and living conditions in our country. (…) We should praise the work that the General Directorate of Statistics has been making under the Ministry of finance," said the Prime Minister.
He also expressed his appreciation for the work done by the Minister of Finance, the Vice Minister of Finance and the United Nations Population Fund-UNFPA and UN Women.
"With the participation of the population and the crucial work of the Ministry of Finance, through the General Directorate for Statistics, we hope to get a good result. We can then update plans and programs, under the context of the Strategic Development Plan, which we use right now, in order to make our country move forward, "said the Head of the Executive.
In particular, the Prime Minister recommended the Heads of Suco and the Heads of Village, to establish contacts with people in order to explain and provide information, enabling them to cooperate in the Census of Population and Housing for 2015.
Finally, to all the people, the Prime Minister declared hoping this census collection may also serve as proof of the spirit of citizenship of all Timorese, "As Timorese citizens, we all have to perform our duty; and this duty is to provide information to the State, in order to enable good governance, which may benefit all those who live in this young nation."
