Moldovan cabinet approach population census-related issues

Chisinau, 22 May /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici today chaired a meeting of the National Commission for Population and Dwellings Census. The participants in the event discussed the following stages after taking the census in 2014, including identifying and earmarking resources needed to process the questionnaires, the government's communication and media relations department has reported.

"Statistic data of the census are important to ensure record in development of national policies and strategies. The government has taken commitment before the citizens and donors to process the population census data in due time", the premier said.

The deputy head of the National Statistics Bureau (BNS), Vitalie Vilcov, made a review of the actions carried out so far, and referred to the tasks for the next period. "Under the census plan, the automated processing of information, creation of database, analysis and validation of data and elaboration of the final results of population and dwellings census are to be carried out. We have 15 months at our disposal," he said.

The prime minister demanded that the BNS mobilizes every effort to complete processing the questionnaires on census and come up with a plan in this context. "I want to be presented an action plan with exact data and periods, with necessary financial means, clearly divided into stages of action. Also, proper conditions should be created for the storage of files and, not in the least, security of processing data must be ensured," he said.

The prime minister asked the Labour and Family Protection Minister Ruxanda Glavan to summon the National Commission for Population and Development to analyse pressing demographic problems, including to coordinate processing the questionnaires on the 2014 census.

At the end of the meeting, Gaburici noted that it was necessary to efficiently coordinate the foreign assistance in statistics, in order to adjust the national statistics system to the European one. At the same time, he praised the technical and financial expertise of donors for taking the census: Swiss Cooperation Office (SDC), UN Fund for Population (UNFPA), Romanian government, Czech Agency for Development and Cooperation, United Nations Children's Fund and UN Development Programme.

Data collection took place in May 2014. Over 12,000 censors were involved in census work. The 2014 census budget was estimated at 89 million lei, of which over 73 million lei was identified and earmarked by the government.

The previous census was held in 2004. Moldova is the first country of the ex-Soviet space to take the census of population concomitantly with the one of dwellings, as it takes place in the European Union.

(Editor L. Alcaza)