THE Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) has turned to the media to help sensitise Jamaicans about the 2011 Population and Housing Census, saying the information provided will have a direct impact on the quality of life and socio-economic services citizens can access.

Sonia Jackson, the director general of STATIN, said yesterday that the census is extremely important for planning.

"Human capital is our most important resource and we need to understand what that capital looks like, where people live, the ratio between young and old, and the other socio-economic information, such as education and employment," Jackson said.

"The information is used to determine the location, number and types of schools, the demand for housing, water supply and other social amenities that are required," she added.

Jackson was speaking yesterday at a breakfast hosted by STATIN at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston to engage the media in dialogue about possible partnerships that would enable the organisation to maximise the participation of all Jamaicans.

She emphasised that the census information will also be important to the private sector, which uses the census to determine the location of businesses and the kinds of services that are provided.

The 2011 Population and Housing Census, which is themed 'Every one Counts - You, Me, All a Wi!', will begin on April 4, 2011 and last until July 2011. The census, which will cost over $1 billion, is expected to create 7,000 jobs.

The planning process and a public education campaign to correct misperceptions and to sensitise the public, are currently underway.

Meanwhile, Jackson gave an assurance that the personal information that they provide would be kept in strict confidence.

"The work of the census is impartial and free from government interference. Additionally, the Statistics Act prevents STATIN from releasing personal information to anybody for any reason and there are also penalties for breaches of confidentiality. The data are released in an aggregated format to protect the privacy of the individual. They are used for statistical purposes only," she stressed.

The director general further noted that census takers, like all members of staff at STATIN, have signed confidentiality agreements for which breaches are punishable by the law. To date, she reported that there have been no breaches.

On the matter of access, Jackson made a special appeal to the occupiers and managers of gated communities and apartment complexes.

"They present their own challenges in terms of access and I am making a special appeal to the Managers of these properties to give us access for the purposes of the census. We can facilitate you by making appointments, so that one visit can cover all the home owners, rather than making several visits," she said.

The census is the total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, social and economic data pertaining to a specified time for all persons in a country.

The last population and housing census was conducted in 2001. At that time the population count was 2,607,633. Since then annual estimates of the total population have been done and at December 2009, the population was estimated at 2,698,800 with 1,329,300 males and 1,369,500 females.

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