National Census to be extended until July 10
National Census to be extended until July 10
JAKARTA (JP): The decadal National Census is to be adjourned
until July 10 as it is almost certain to fail to meet its June 30
deadline, an official said on Monday.
In other provinces, however, the census is running on
schedule, Rusmandesiar, head of the population division of the
city office of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), said.
"We need more time because so far the census has only covered
86 percent of the total 19,126 census blocks in the city, so it
seems to be impossible to meet the Friday deadline," he said.
His office could not even state the number of people in
Jakarta who had been censused so far.
Rusmandesiar said that to speed up the enumeration process,
BPS Jakarta had deployed 39 extra office staff to back up the
12,065 people already hired to carry out the job.
The deployment of staff to the field left his office at the
City Hall complex in Central Jakarta empty on Monday.
"We have also asked the BPS central office to give us some of
their staff to help us out," he added.
He said the main factor behind the failure to meet the
deadline was the uncooperative attitude of many city residents,
particularly those living in middle- to upper-class housing
complexes.
These people were not willing to be interviewed, Rusmandesiar
said.
Normally, he said, census officials could finish counting one
block, containing 80 to 120 families, within three days but due
to such difficulties their work could only be accomplished in
between six and eight days.
Previously, Rusmandesiar was optimistic that his men could
meet the deadline for the one-month project.
The snail-like progress of the census in the city has been
evident from the beginning of the process, when some of the
people hired by the city to do the job refused to continue,
saying that the details of their payment were unclear.
Others resigned after learning that the job was too hard for
them.
Staff members receive Rp 2,250 for each family they visit and
count.
The budget for the census was Rp 4.7 billion and was taken
from the state budget. An extra Rp 5.4 billion was taken from the
city budget for a supplementary question in the questionnaire on
the economic status of respondents.
This year's census is the fifth conducted in the country since
its independence in 1945. Prior censuses were held in 1961, 1971,
1980 and 1990.
Rusmandesiar said that officials who had finished their task
had started to receive payment.
"We have disbursed Rp 2.2 billion to each of the city's five
mayoralties," he said.
Interviewed separately, census staff confirmed the
difficulties they were facing in the field.
Ismiranti, who is responsible for surveying Green Garden
housing complex in West Jakarta, said there were too many home
owners who refused to meet her.
"I once interviewed a resident from the gate," she said.
She said she could understand that people were more careful
now due to escalating crime levels.
Similar complaints were also heard in Gelora in Central
Jakarta.
Head of the subdistrict's administrative affairs office
Sutiyadi said that census officials had only counted about 50
percent of the people living in the area.
"We actually have only 5,123 residents here but most are
middle- and high-class, who are difficult to be met. Others live
in apartments that have special procedures to get in," he said.
Another problem is criminal behavior by security guards at
some housing complexes.
Sutiyadi said guards often asked for money from census men
after accompanying them on their tasks.
"We have received reports that census officials at Sunter
Agung housing complex (in North Jakarta) are reluctant to do
their jobs as security guards there are demanding money," he
said. (ind)