Confidentiality of 2010 Census
The Census, beginning on the 11th July and ending on the 25th July, is done by the National Directorate for Statistics (NDS) belonging to the Ministry of Finance. All the data collected from the population stays in the NDS, data which is considered as confidential by the Census Law. In other words, “we will not give specific, individual data to anyone. Now, the Census results, or the analysed data where we will state: a certain number of population exists in Timor-Leste, where x are women, y are men, z are children and a are foreigners, this information the world will know. We don’t divulge who is who, we don’t say names, we don’t say any of this, we only divulge general data. The same happens with the rest: we will say the number of animals in Timor-Leste, houses, cars, tractors and their conditions, in accordance with the data given to us”. We will not identify
who gave the information, that’s confidential” guarantees the Minister of Finance Emília Pires.
It is expected that every citizen contributes to the 2010 Census by participating, or in other words, answers the inquiry.
“It’s a duty. It mustn’t be a matter of choice because if it is, it will sabotage the Census objective” explains the Minister of Finance, adding that “the Census is for the benefit of all, so the citizen must participate filling in these questionnaires. Those who can and know how to fill them out, should do it directly. Those who have difficulties will have access to the more than two thousand and six hundred interviewers that we are now employing”.
For more information’s, you can ear the Minister of Finance interview to the “Good bye Conflict, Welcome Development” program in Radio Timor-Leste, frequency 91.7 FM – in Portuguese, Saturday, July 10 at 7.30pm.
