Lyna Mohamad & Fadley Faisal
The Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (JPES), Ministry of Finance and Economy will conduct the sixth Population and Housing Census (BPP) for Brunei Darussalam this year to compile comprehensive and latest information on the total population, households and the total stock of living quarters in the country, the department said in a press release yesterday.
BPP 2021 will be implemented in three stages namely houselisting, e-census implementation, and face-to-face interview.
To mark the start of the First Stage of BPP 2021: Houselisting from yesterday until today, an Appointment Letter Presentation and Oath-Taking ceremony for census officers of population and housing census 2021 was held at the Theatre Hall of the Ministry of Finance and Economy Building at Commonwealth Drive. Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy (Economy) Dato Seri Paduka Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin was the guest of honour.
JPES Director General Hajah Mariah binti Haji Yahya highlighted that the First Stage of BPP 2021 involves 842 Census Officers appointed as Assistant Superintendents, Chief Supervisors, Supervisors and Enumerators to conduct the census field works across all four districts, comprising 610 officers for Brunei-Muara District, 108 officers for Belait District, 97 officers for Tutong District, and 27 officers for Temburong District.
Three training sessions for census officers were held from January 5-16 to explain about the tasks and responsibilities need to be undertaken by census officers during the census period and providing guidance on the use of BruCensus mobile application as well as on the etiquette and discipline that needs to be practised as a census officer, especially during interviewing households.
During the houselisting stage, the census officers visit all living quarters to collect information from the household including the name, identity card numbers, date of birth and telephone number of the head and each household member. Census officers will also affix a sticker to each living quarter.
BPP 2021 covers all persons, whether Brunei Darussalam citizens, permanent residents or temporary residents according to their usual place of residence, who have stayed or intend to stay as usual members of the household for six months or more in 2021.
Public support and cooperation in providing accurate data is needed, including the owners or managers of business establishments in ensuring that their workers, especially foreign workers are enumerated in the census at their living quarters.
Households head or members are advised to ensure that the visiting census officers are legitimately appointed, by checking their census passes, letter of appointment, and identity cards.