Coast regional administrative secretary (RAS) Betha Swai has appealed to residents in Coast region to cooperate with enumerators during the national housing and population census to be held next month.

The RAS made the appeal yesterday at a brief closing ceremony of ten-day training course for 150 trainers on the census. Course participants were drawn from six districts of Kisarawe, Mafia, Bagamoyo, Kibaha, Mkuranga, Rufiji and Kibaha.

“I appeal to all people and leaders at all levels to support the government in the coming exercise,” she stressed.

Swai said the census was an important exercise that would enable the government to get statistics for use in preparing development plans.

“I don’t understand why people refuse to be counted. If that’s the case, then they should also be denied of the services that the government offers,” she said.

The trainers head, Simon Msanjila, said that the group participated in the training from July 16 to 27, this year.

A participant of the training, Phillip Matumla, who spoke on behalf of colleagues, promised that they would work hard and efficiently in order to make the census successful.

Meanwhile, some villagers in the region have asked the government to educate the people on census to enable them to participate fully in the exercise.

The request was made by Boko Nmela, Mwandapole and Kibaha kwa Mfipa villagers in Kibaha district when the trainers went to the villages during the sampling exercise that was made as part of the training.

Coast regional census coordinator Philemon Mwenda promised that the government would educate and mobilise them on the exercise, requesting them to cooperate with enumerators.

A total of 4721enumerators and supervisors will participate in the exercise, the regional census coordinator informed.

Recently, Coast regional commissioner Mwantumu Mahiza called on clerics, politicians, government leaders and members of the public to cooperate with the government in the national housing and population census set for end of August, this year.