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Herald Reporter
The 2022 population census got a boost after the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development allocated $3,8 billion for the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) to carry out the process, a development that has been praised by parliamentarians.
Results of the population census are critical in that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will use them in the forthcoming delimitation exercise, which will determine electoral constituency boundaries for the 2023 harmonised elections.
Electoral constituency boundaries are determined by the size of population, geographical issues and patterns, among other issues.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube allocated $3,8 billion to ZimStat against a bid of $6 billion.
The balance is expected to come from development partners, who are set to collaborate with the Government in pooling financial resources.
Commenting on the Budget allocation in the National Assembly this week, Budget and Finance portfolio committee chairperson, Dr Matthew Nyashanu (Zanu PF) said it was pleasing that development partners had since pledged 30 percent of the required funding.
He implored Treasury to timeously release the money to allow ZimStat to carry out the exercise within the envisaged timeframe.
“The committee also noted with appreciation the pledges that have been received from cooperating partners to support 30 percent of the census budget. The mapping exercise to divide the country into enumeration areas in preparation for the 2023 National Census is underway,” said Dr Nyashanu.
“ZimStat envisages to finish the mapping exercise by 21 January 2022. ZimStat is currently seized with the procurement of IT equipment and software for the census.
“The committee therefore calls upon Treasury to prioritise ZimStat in the disbursement of the remaining 2021 and 2022 Budget wherein a release of $2,9 billion for procurement of tablets, computer equipment, vehicles and other operational expenses is targeted in 2021.”
The committee, said Dr Nyashanu, was encouraged to note that ZimStat will next year release pertinent statistics such as quarterly Gross Domestic Product and agriculture and economic census.
“The committee also noted with appreciation that ZimStat is intending to produce new statistics starting 2022. These include quarterly Gross Domestic Product statistics as well as the new agriculture and economic census to be done in 2024 whose preparations have to begin in 2022.
“The committee therefore calls upon the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to prioritise programmes for retention of experienced staff within the Agency, especially statisticians and information technology experts,” said Dr Nyashanu.
Early this year, Parliament passed the Census and Statistics Act to align the decennial national census to enable ZEC take into account census data when delimitating election boundaries.
Online Reporter