The Minister of National Development Planning Honourable Alexander Chiteme, MP, today announced that the Government is this week concluding to pay all outstanding balances to contracted personnel that worked in the Pilot Census as well as the Mapping and Listing exercises.
Addressing a media briefing in Lusaka, Hon. Chiteme said the completion of the Mapping and Listing, as well as the Pilot Census, demonstrates Government’s commitment to the undertaking of the main Census.
“I am pleased to inform the nation that, the Pilot Census was successfully completed in all the selected districts on 12th December 2020. The Mapping and Listing was successfully completed in all the 116 districts in the third quarter of 2020. These are major achievements considering the numerous challenges in 2020,” Hon. Chiteme announced. “Let me also state that outstanding balances to contracted personnel under these two exercises are currently being paid-out in all provinces. We expect all payments to be completed this week. Thank you to the more than 3500 personnel mostly grade 12 school leavers that were recruited to carry out the aforementioned activities in various communities of Zambia under the supervision of the Zambia Statistics Agency.”
He explained that the Government postponed the 2020 Census of Population and Housing to this year following challenges which included the gassing incidences between October 2019 and February 2020, and flooding in some parts of the country, as well as the outbreak of Covid-19.
The Minister explained that Cabinet will decide the dates when the Census of Population and Housing will be held.
Hon. Chiteme also announced that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has donated 2,110 bicycles towards the main Census of Population and Housing.
“I wish to acknowledge the support of UN through UNFPA, UNICEF and UNDP for continued technical and financial support since the start of the Census planning process in 2017. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to [UK Department for International Development] DFID who have so far provided 15,025 tablets for data collection through a south-to-south cooperation arrangement with Malawi, through the UNFPA,” Mr. Chiteme said. “I am also grateful to the World Bank, US Government through the US Census Bureau for providing technical support for the Census preparatory activities, and the private sector organizations namely, ZANACO and ECO banks that have committed and supported the Census activities thus far.”
Ministry of National Development Planning Permanent Secretary (in charge of Development Cooperation, Monitoring and Evaluation) Mr. Danies Chisenda and Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTATS) Interim Statistician General Mr. Mulenga Musepa accompanied Hon. Chiteme.
This is according to a media statement issued in Lusaka by Ministry of National Development Planning Spokesperson Chibaula D. Silwamba.
We thank them for the job well done..
May they continue with honoring of this obligation. Well done to all who where involved in the exercise