Census data is key to the decentralization agenda

The Chronicle
Head of Midlands Office
THE 2022 Population and Housing Census is essential as it is the key informant of the country’s vision to become a prosperous and self-sufficient middle-income society by 2030.
Speaking at the 2022 Population and Housing Census Tier 2 Supervisor Training Workshop at Midlands State University (MSU) yesterday, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Midlands and to decentralization, Larry Mavima, said the measure of the country’s achievement of Vision 2030 lies in the census agenda. .
There are 1,000 level two supervisors in the Midlands Province who will train 4,770 level three investigators.
Minister Mavima said that apart from shaping government policy, census data is essential for the country’s devolution agenda and a key driver of the Midlands provincial economic development plan.
“The 2022 Population and Housing Census is critical as it is the key informant of the country’s vision to become a prosperous and self-sufficient middle-income society by 2030.
“The government is able to formulate its socio-economic policies using the results of the census.
“As a province and nation as a whole, the census results are essential in our decentralization agenda to inform the equitable sharing of resources and revenues based on population profiles, poverty profile and quality of infrastructure” , did he declare.
Minister Mavima said decentralization funds are disbursed to local authorities using a formula which takes into account the population of wards, provinces and districts as reported by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat).
“In order to achieve our NDS1 goal of transforming lives through accelerated, inclusive and results-driven economic growth and development, there is a need for evidence-based planning using census data and other ZimStat surveys,” he said.
“Gross domestic product per capita figures to be released soon as well as housing and living conditions will help gauge the standard of living of the population.”
Minister Mavima expressed confidence that the personnel selected to carry out the census program will do so with distinction.
Addressing the same workshop, MSU Vice Chancellor Prof. Victor Muzvidziwa said that for any meaningful development to take place, the government needs a sustainable information system that updates statistical data. adequate.
“The census that is going to take place in the country is necessary to design an evidence-based strategy and policy for provincial and national development.
“For any meaningful development to take place, the government needs a sustainable information system from ZimStat that updates adequate statistical data,” he said.