Private partnership needed for census — Dr Bediako

THE Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako has called for private partnership in preparation towards the 2010 Population and Housing Census.
This partnership she said is very crucial particularly for the Census Reference Day which is the day set aside for every Ghanaian “in an ideal situation” to be counted.
In an interview, Dr Bediako said the Census Reference Day is important for the avoidance of double counting.
Dr Bediako mentioned for instance, the telecommunication companies as potential partners who would send text messages to their subscribers reminding them of the day.
Others, she said, could also brand the officers who would be involved in the collection of the data or any other thing that could be done to mark the day so that people could easily remember the day.
Dr Bediako mentioned that private partnership was needed to create the much needed awareness on the Census Reference Day.
The government’s s tatistician said both the private and the public sector would need the data collected for their works and should therefore be involved in the exercise.
She reminded the public that, the Population and Housing Census is different from the voter registration where each person is expected to register in person.
“In the census only a responsible person in the house would be required to speak on behalf of all the others in the house,” she said.
Dr Bediako added that a similar partnership would be needed for the pilot census in October and November, 2009.
"The Census Reference Day is the day officers who come to a household will for instance ask about those who were in the house on the Census Reference Day, and these are the people who will be counted” she said.
Dr Bediako stressed that the relevance of the day must be communicated properly to the public.
Explaining further, she said for instance if one resided permanently in Accra, but travelled to visit the parents in, say, Adaklu Waya in the Volta Region on the 18th October, 2009 which is the Census Reference Day; This person, she said, would be counted among the people of Adaklu Waya and not Accra even if he returns to Accra before his household in Accra were counted.