Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition encourages participation in census 2022

As the National Population and Housing Census 2022 commenced on Thursday Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton have encouraged persons to get counted.

The Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition were among the first persons to get counted as the Bureau of Statistics commenced the enumeration process of counting all persons living in Guyana.

First Lady Arya Ali and son Zayd Ali were first to be counted at State House before the Prime Minister’s family including his wife, Mignon Bowen-Phillips, and their daughter Maya Phillips were counted at their official residence and Norton’s family were counted at their private residence.

First Lady H.E. Arya Ali being interviewed by a Census-Taker on Thursday at State House (Photo: Bureau of Statistics)

“The first lady was very receptive and accommodating to the Census-taker. She recognised the importance of the Census and acknowledged the impact the Census data will have on improving the lives of persons across Guyana,” Chief Statistician, Errol La Cruez said according to a press release from the Bureau of Statistics.

The Census will take a complete count of the population and buildings of the country with the aim of providing vital data for developmental plans for the nation, as well as providing the private sector with information that will help in new areas of investment, the release said.

“It is quite a simple process. Whenever the team comes to your home kindly cooperate and get the interview done because it’s also important for the information to be available to us as a Government to plan and implement our programmes and projects for the development of Guyana, development that you will benefit from,” the Prime Minister is quoted as saying.

“It is my view that a Census is important, it will allow us to understand the demographics in Guyana among other things. Be part of the Census, ensure you are counted, it will contribute to the kind of data that is needed to do the kinds of analysis and projections in societies like ours,” Norton is quoted as saying.

Leader of the Opposition the Hon. Aubrey Norton being interviewed by a Census-Taker at his residence on Census Day (Photo: Bureau of Statistics)

Trained ‘Census-Takers’ from the Bureau of Statistics will be visiting every home in Guyana over the next eight weeks to collect vital information from the population. This exercise occurs every ten years, in accordance with the Statistics Act of 1965.

All Enumerators must present their Bureau of Statistics Identification Badges before entering the home of any person during the Census. Enumerators will be collecting data electronically.

All persons who spent Census night within the boundaries of Guyana will be counted in the Census, regardless of nationality. Census night is referred to as the hours between 12 midnight and 6:00 am on September 15, 2022.