Officers involved in the successful completion of the Population and Housing Census (BPP) 2021 received recognition yesterday for their dedication and hard work in an appreciation ceremony at the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE).
Deputy Permanent Secretary (Trade and Industry) at the MoFE Mohammad Harris bin Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim attended the ceremony as guest of honour.
Mohammad Harris In his remarks commended the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics’ (JPES) efforts in adopting digital approach to conducting the census.
He said, “With nearly 50 per cent of households responding through the e-census, apart from reducing costs, the method has also improved the quality and timeliness of data verification, through automatic data review. The use of a digital method has also enabled the JPES to release the Population and Housing Census 2021 findings in stages (started October 2021), through various statistical reports and info-graphics.
“Data and information obtained through the BPP 2021, such as the demographic characteristics of the population, households and housing, economic characteristics of the population, are very valuable inputs for the government in shaping policies and strategic planning in areas such as education, health and infrastructure development.
“The data will further assist in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the policies in achieving the goals of Brunei Vision 2035.
“The same information can also be used for statistical comparisons at the international level, as implemented for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) report.”
Mohammad Harris also reiterated that the success of the population census would not be possible without the cooperation and commitment of all parties involved, especially census officers and e-census focal officers.
The ceremony also honoured the cooperation by penghulus and village heads as well as logistics support in advocacy and the media in reaching out to the public to ensure that the data and information collected meet the targeted response rate and objectives of the census.
Meanwhile, JPES Acting Deputy Director General Heidi Farah Sia binti Abdul Rahman expressed her gratitude to the officials at various levels and the public for their participation.
She also applauded the collective effort in implementing a major project, which demonstrated cooperation and unity while showcasing the whole-of-nation approach. She added, “The BPP is carried out once every 10 years, with the aim of producing accurate and up-to-date demographics, social and economic statistical information for the population and housing in Brunei Darussalam.
“The implementation of the massive census requires careful planning and commitment from every individual of every levels; from identifying the locations of residences to conducting house-to-house interviews.
“This project was also the first to use the e-census system; it is an ongoing effort by the JPES to increase efficiency through digitalisation.”
The ceremony concluded with the guest of honour presenting certificates of appreciation to census officers. – James Kon