BPS to launch nationwide census every ten years

JAKARTA (JP): The government will launch a nationwide population census, held every 10-years, in June with the results announced two months later.

Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) chief Sugito Suwito on Tuesday said the bureau would hire some 300,000 enumerators to collect data from about 52 million families throughout the country.

President Abdurrahman Wahid is expected to officially announce the outcome of the census, which will cover the number of households and the numbers of female and male population, when he delivers his independence speech on Aug. 16.

Different from the previous four population censuses, the coming census will also cover the provision of small area statistics, including rural and remote areas.

"The complete and detailed data on population distribution according to residence, marital status, citizenship, education and occupation will be announced gradually in accordance with the completion of data processing in the regional and central governments," Sugito said after meeting with the President at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Sugito said the country's last census was conducted in 1990. He expects this year's census could be carried in all provinces, including Maluku, North Maluku and Aceh provinces despite the turmoil which has struck those areas.

According to Sugito BPS has completed training for the census officials in Maluku and in North Maluku.

But he conceded that problems may emerge in some areas such as Aceh due to the poor security situation.

Sugito said the government had allocated some Rp 400 billion (US$53 million) to finance the census and that people should not have to fear extortion during the time the census is being taken.

"People will not have to pay anything and their secrecy is guaranteed by the government. Therefore we appeal to people to receive the census enumerators and give all necessary information to them," Sugito appealed. (prb)