Census data will inform policy – President

President Donald Ramotar urges the nation to cooperate with the census team as the data collected will inform policy-making, after the Census Bureau started its enumeration exercise at State House on Saturday morning.

“The census guides policy action… and I want to encourage all Guyanese to cooperate fully and to give accurate information so that our analysis and our decisions can be based on facts and help to guide us in our actions,” he said, according to a press release from the Census Bureau.

The Ramotars were interviewed by Assistant Regional Census Coordinator Lolouwattie Bisessar, who formed part of a team comprising Census Officer Lennox Benjamin, Deputy Census Officer Vanessa Profitt, Regional Census Coordinator Andre Phillips and Assistant Regional Census Coordinator Cecil Pearson, the statement said. A similar exercise was then conducted at Prime Minister Samuel Hinds’s residence, the release noted.

Census takers are now poised to conduct this activity countrywide over the next six weeks after the programme’s official launched by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh on Friday. After the press conference launch activities were launched at the Stabroek Market Square in Georgetown, the municipal car park in Linden and at Damon’s Square in Region Two. Similar activities were held in Region Six this week and a public education and information campaign is being rolled out in all regions.