Population data contribute to ensuring correct voter lists, not losing opportunities for all eligible voters and successfully holding a free and fair general election.

Vice-Senior General Soe Win underscored that population data are es­sential for effective management to allocate natural resources and finance, construction of in­frastructures such as schools, hospitals, health units, roads and bridges, care for those with dis­abilities and older persons and creation of employment oppor­tunities.

Patron of the Central Census Commission Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Sen­ior General Soe Win delivered an address at the ceremony to mark the 2024 World Population Day at the Myanmar International Convention Centre II in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Senior General high­lighted that the increasing global population brings food deficiency, shortage of drinking water, cli­mate change, spreading of infec­tious diseases, worse impacts of natural disasters, inequality and high rate of poverty in addition to problems on the social standard gap.

He continued that the ma­jority of developing countries are experiencing a lesser number of children, a shortage of labour and an increasing number of older persons due to a remarkable de­cline in birth rates. At the same time, some developing countries and least developed countries are also facing high birth rates, lower standards of education, a larger number of jobless people, and a high rate of poverty, he added.

He pointed out that this year’s theme, “Helping vulnera­ble population in emergencies”, aims to improve life safety, pres­tige and health for fulfilling the requirements of families and so­ciety from vulnerable older per­sons, girls, children, those with disabilities and poor persons.

The Vice-Senior General spotted that UN member states have agreed to implement sus­tainable development goals adopted by the UN to overcome global challenges such as pov­erty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and lack of peace and justice.

He said that the majority of global countries, including tech­nologically developing countries, conduct census-taking measures as usual to obtain these data.

He emphasized that the United Nations has issued the Principles and Recommenda­tions to enumerate the census, adding that as population and socioeconomic data can be ob­tained from population census in different areas of the nation, collection of population census is essential for all.

The Vice-Senior General said the significant characteris­tic of the census is that it pro­vides data to the minor admin­istrative areas, such as wards and village-tracts. Data from the census can support statistics on population and socioeconomic data for adopting correct policies, strategies and tactics as well as drawing projects, he added.

He recounted that the 2019 interim census was taken in order to know changes in socioeconom­ic data and compare data from these censuses before collecting one more census, and these data are helpful till today.

He underlined that Myanmar is making preparations to take population and household census from 1 to 15 October 2024 with the aim of ensuring firmness of estimated annual population data of the nation and taking correct data for sector-wise development projects and research works.

He continued that as the enu­meration of the census is a single project for ensuring the availabil­ity of socioeconomic data, which is vital for adopting development projects and policies of the na­tion, it is necessary to strive for the successful undertaking of the census-taking process as a national duty.

The Vice-Senior General stressed that population data will contribute to ensuring correct voter lists, not losing opportu­nities for all eligible voters and successfully holding a free and fair general election.

The Vice-Senior General not­ed that everybody needs to lend a helping hand to those from the vulnerable group, whereas re­gional authorities need to prepare emergency management plans.

Union Minister for Immi­gration and Population U Myint Kyaing reported on the popula­tion’s role in the development of Myanmar.

A video clip on helping vul­nerable population in emergen­cies was presented.

The ceremony was also at­tended by SAC members, the chairman of the Union Election Commission, Union ministers, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chair­man, deputy ministers and de­partmental heads, diplomats, and officials.

After the ceremony, the Vice-Senior General visited the booths to mark the 2024 World Population Day. — MNA/TTA