Deputy PM requests thorough preparations for national census

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, head of the central steering committee for the national population and housing census, addresses the teleconference in Hanoi on March 13 (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on March 13 requested thorough preparations for the once-in-a-decade national population and housing census that is scheduled to begin on April 1.

The order was made at a teleconference of the central steering committee for the census in Hanoi which was connected with 775 places nationwide with the participation of some 36,000 people.

Hue said the census, the fifth of its kind since the establishment of the modern Vietnam in 1945, is one of the biggest of the country. The latest census was conducted in April 2009.

The national census covers general information about population, migration status, people’s educational and specialised levels, disability status, marital status, birth and death rates and population development, birth registration, employment status, housing status, and households’ basic living conditions.

It aims to collect basic information about population and housing nationwide to serve the analysis of population and housing development and the assessment of the implementation of socio-economic development plans for 2011-2020. Its results will also be an important foundation to build development strategies until 2030 and 2045.

The Deputy PM said the coming census is different from the last one 10 years ago since economic, social and IT levels are now more developed. This is also the national census with the most IT application so far, from collecting information, analysing and storing data, to making reports.

IT is very helpful, but it also poses certain risks. Therefore, localities and steering boards at all levels must not be subjective, he noted.

Hue stressed the importance of the communications work to raise public awareness of the census. He also asked for absolute safety for the survey, especially in remote regions and areas with high risks of social disorder.

The 2019 census must be carried out in a swift, absolutely safe, economical, efficient and high-quality manner, the Deputy PM said, demanding relevant agencies submit general reports to the Government on April 26 at the latest./.

VNA