THE Minister for Administrative Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Constitutional Matters, Richard Masere, has dismissed comments made by former Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu-Pangia Peter O’Neill, regarding the National Census, labeling them as “misreported”.
Minister Masere clarified that the National Statistical Office (NSO) received a K150 million warrant from the Treasury, with the funds being managed through a trust account under the Department of Finance.
“Initially, National Planning, under the then Finance and Planning Minister, Rainbo Paita, reduced the proposed budget to K100 million. This created additional pressure on the census, prompting the National Executive Council to secure further funding to ensure its commencement and successful delivery,” Minister Masere said.
He further explained that outstanding payments to enumerators are administrative issues, which depend on the correct submission of information and documents to the Department of Finance (DoF) and the Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG).
“Under the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and BPNG guidelines, payments are not released unless all proper documents are submitted by the provinces,” he added.
Minister Masere acknowledged that these factors have caused delays in payment processing but assured that the NSO is working closely with the DoF and BPNG to resolve the issues.
He emphasized that the census is not merely a project but a comprehensive process requiring house-to-house visits across PNG to ensure accurate data collection.
He pointed out that the 2011 census also took 12 months to complete, underscoring the scale and complexity of such an undertaking.
“There are many misconceptions that the census is a failure. It is not,” Minister Masere stated.
“The census process will conclude once every individual in the country is counted. Accurate population data is crucial for the planning and implementation of the Government’s development agendas. Unfortunately, mainstream and social media platforms often misreport on this issue, leading to misleading interpretations, including those by Peter O’Neill.”
Minister Masere criticized O’Neill’s claim that the census is in disarray, calling it “silly”.
He noted that as a former Prime Minister, O’Neill should be well aware of the manpower, resources, and time required to conduct such a significant event, especially given the geographical and natural challenges in PNG.
“Political point-scoring should not be part of this process,” Minister Masere added.
“Despite the negative comments, as the Minister responsible for the NSO and the National Census, I remain committed to delivering this crucial national event.”
