Development partners to back: Census exercise to cost around Rs 14 billion: Dar

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has stated that census exercise is estimated to cost the country around Rs 14 billion in addition to the support being provided by the development partners. Speaking at international conference on population census, organised by the Census Division of Pakistan, Bureau of Statistics, Dar stated that in order to successfully carry out this exercise, all available resources will have to be mobilised.
He further stated that development partners, especially the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have long supplemented Pakistan's efforts through financial, material and technical support. Dar said that a firm population number obtained through a transparent census will further support the government's policies and help in devising plans to achieve an inclusive and sustained higher growth as well as adequate socio-economic planning. He said that holding of census is an important national task as it impacts directly on various facets of national life.
The Minister stated the census provides benchmark data on socio-economic and demographic characteristics of population and housing. It also provides basis for distribution of parliament seats amongst the provinces, distribution of funds to the federating units and employment quotas to all civil federal posts. The census data serves as the basis for all administrative and development planning and evaluation in the country.
He added that in Pakistan, as elsewhere, census is a gigantic peace time exercise. Presently, the country has over 166,000 census blocks which require posting and training of nearly 200,000 enumerators and supervisors. Supply of census material and retrieval of the filled in forms from Khunjerab to Karachi and from Chaman to Wagha is a huge logistical effort.
With the process of devolution of power to local levels, the role of provincial as well as local governments has gained importance and suggested that a mechanism must be devised whereby provincial and local government functionaries may actively contribute in the census process. He urged all relevant federal government ministries, Divisions, departments to also extend their whole hearted support and cooperation to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in this huge task.
Finance Minister stated that he was happy that necessary census planning and preparation has already been made. The main focus, however, should be to hold a free, fair and transparent census to produce reliable results. For that lessons from international best practices too may be sought. He said that he hopes recommendations of this conference would go a long way for undertaking a census which is credible, transparent and which helps the nation to move ahead.
He said as Pakistan is going to conduct of 6th Population Census, the conference would address how to hold the census in a manner which is credible, transparent and acceptable to all the stakeholders. We have decided that the 1998 model would be followed and the Pakistan Army would be deployed to ensure the security of census men and materials as well as to provide credibility to the data collection operation. He said resources were allocated and made available to the PBS and preparations were on, however, the necessary army strength required for the task could not be made available on the proposed dates due to its commitments in the Zarb-e-Azb operation against terrorists. The issue he said has since been reviewed and it has been decided to postpone the census to a date when the required force could be made available.
Dar said the health of all economic indicators also directly depends on the total population of the country; therefore, it is imperative that a correct population number is available so that policy interventions are identified to further improve the economy. He said the country's all the economic indicators were on slide when the present government came to power in 2013 but now macro-economic situation is stable. He said he was very pleased to share with this house that Pakistan is now firmly on the path of sustainable and inclusive growth. All economic indicators have been showing positive progress over the past three years.
He expressed thank to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and UNFPA for organising this conference and bringing together experts and stakeholders from Pakistan and abroad to discuss and share their views on an issue that is of considerable importance for the general public in Pakistan.