It has been reported that a population census will take place in April 2024. In 2023 a press release was issued indicating that the government did not have the resources to hold the census. This was rather strange since the government has powers to have submitted a supplementary appropriation bill covering the holding of a census in 2023 should there had been an oversight, including the item in the annual estimate for 2023. The minister exploited section 19(2) of the Statistics Act to postpone the census. According to section 19 subsection (2),
“The Minister may, in consultation with the Council, by notice published in the Gazette, postponed the holding of a population census for such period as shall be stated in the notice if any difficulties arise which make it necessary.”
The Minister should have respected section 19(1) so that a population census could be held every ten years. Section 19(1) states:
“Subject to subsection (2), the Bureau shall cause a population census to be carried out in the year 2013 and every ten years thereafter, on such dates as shall be determined by the Minister by order published in the Gazette.”
In fact this should be a constitutional provision. We should not allow any flexibility due to discretionary powers given to ministers.
