The Opposition spokesperson on finance, Julian Robinson, is demanding the intervention of the finance minister amid persistent delays with the completion of the 2022 National and Population Housing Census, which seems to have come to a premature halt.

It has been almost a year since the start of the 2022 Census, but based on reports from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) of persistent problems with recruitment of workers and the resulting delays in the data collection exercise, a new March 2023 deadline was set after the December 2022 one elapsed. However, after four months past the revised deadline, there is still no update from STATIN. Our Today attempted to contact the statistical agency but was unsuccessful.

“I think the minister has to intervene in this. It is a very critical exercise because the data is needed for planning, development [and more]. If STATIN can’t manage it properly, then they need to appoint competent people or find some project manager somewhere who can come in and manage the process so that we can get a complete census,” Robinson told Our Today.

He noted that this is the first time in Jamaica’s history that the national census has been mismanaged and is calling on the director general of STATIN, Carol Coy, to provide answers.

Robinson said he has received numerous complaints from census workers who said they were not being paid on time, or at all, and are being treated poorly by the agency. He also shared that he has received complaints from applicants who said their applications went unanswered by STATIN, despite several attempts to contact the agency for work..

“It’s clear that for whatever reason, STATIN can’t manage this exercise properly. Frankly, it’s been a disaster! That’s the only way to describe it. It’s the first time in our history that we have had this many problems managing a census, and the issues are management-related issues,” he told Our Today.

A population census is done every 10 years to update the population demographic and plan accordingly. This is Jamaica’s 15th census. The data collection phase for the 2022 National Population and Housing Census started on September 12, 2022, under the theme ‘Yuh Count, Mi Count, All A Wi Count’.

Robinson is demanding that a transparent update be given on the process, including steps being taken to address the issues causing the delay.