NSO gets K1bn boost from DfID
The UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) has provided K1 billion to offset the budget deficit for the 2018 Population and Housing Census( PHC).
National Statistical Office (NSO) deputy commissioner Isaac Chirwa said this on Tuesday in Lilongwe on the sidelines of the six-day training for PHC enumerators for Lilongwe Urban.
He said K16 billion was the total budget for the whole exercise, but there was a shortfall of K1.6 billion.
“I am happy to report that DfID has provided K1 billion and government has provided K200 million while K400 million has been raised from the savings NSO made during the procurement of the tablets to be used in collecting data by enumerators,” said Chirwa.
He said DfID had already provided over K5.5 billion towards the implementation of the exercise while government and its development partners also pumped in some money for the exercise.
Chirwa, who is NSO coordinator for 2018 PHC, said there are over 60 training centres throughout the country where enumerators are being trained before the start of the exercise on September 3 which will last 21 days.
On her part, NSO commissioner Mercy Kanyuka said the enumerators would be provided with tablets on loan as part of their working agreement.
“We are encouraging the enumerators to take care of the tablets and they should return them in good condition,” she said, adding that the tablets would then be sent to Zambia where they are expected to conduct their population census in 2020.
Lilongwe City Council chief executive officer Moza Zeleza said census data helps government in making strategic decisions for its development agenda.
He urged the enumerators to be serious during the training and taking their exercise as a noble duty to the nation.
Zeleza said the quality of the work from the exercise would depend on how they would perform in their various enumeration areas within the urban setting.
“We are urging you to be committed to your training and data collection exercise as government has entrusted you with the work for the nation,” he said.
