- Launches statistical development program (SDP)
ADDIS ABABA– The Ministry of Planning and Development announced that the fourth national population and housing census is to be conducted in 2025.
The Ministry of Planning and Development and Ethiopian Statistical Service officially launched the Ethiopian Statistical Development Program (ESDP) yesterday. The program will be held for 2023/23-2025/26.
Speaking to journalists during the launching program, Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa (PhD) stated that the fourth national population and housing census is to be held in 2025.
Population and housing census is the census that the government wants to do with great commitment. However, international standards must be met. One of the conditions that must be met for the population and house census to be conducted successfully and the information obtained from the census to be reliable.
The house and population census that was to be held earlier was postponed due to the instability in the country. This is because it may disrupt the census and the information obtained from the census may not be reliable, she elaborated.
“What we are noticing in the current situation is that the conflict in the northern part of the country was ended by the Pretoria Agreement and the improvements of the security issue in the Amhara State shows the conditions that will enable us to conduct a population and house census in 2025.”
The minister added, “However, in the future, we will identify the security situation in each area and census the population and houses with the support of new technology, for example, not only going from house to house to conduct the census, but when we face a lack of peace, the ministry and Ethiopian Statistical Service are discussing with development partners to use technology that will help to overcome the problem and conduct the census.”
Population and housing census data is technical. The information obtained from the census should be reliable and quality as a starting point for a country’s development plan, investment and people-oriented work, Fistum emphasized.
In the current year, the demographic and health survey, the census of business institutions has been started and the agricultural census will be done in the next year in every area, every type of product and season.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Statistical Service officially launched the Ethiopian Statistical Development program (ESDP) yesterday.
Ethiopian Statistical Service Director Beker Shale (PhD) said at the occasion that the launching ceremony that ESDP underlines modernizing statistical legal and institutional frameworks, strengthening the system of national and regional accounts and government finance and balance of payment statistics and other strategic activities.
The total project cost of ESDP will be about 34.83 billion Birr or 622 million USD. The government will contribute 50 percent, 40 percent from donors and partners through grand and grand concessional loans and 10 percent from innovative financing sources from non-state actors, Beker added
As to the Director, the expected output and policy outcome of ESPDO of the program by 2025 will be rebased national GDP and official dissemination of regional GDP , improved Ethiopia’s consumer price index, fourth national population and housing census is to be held and others.
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2024
