UNITED Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is working with the British High Commission to provide $461,000 (1bn/-) for post numeration census activities.

Dr Albina Chuwa, the statistician general and head of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), told a statistics stakeholders’ meeting in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the funding is intended to strengthen post census data analysis.

She praised UNFPA support for NBS in generating data that has been helpful to decision makers, pointing at a common goal in responding to ongoing national agenda, notably the five year development plan, the 2025 Vision and preparations for Vision 2050.

“The $461,000 extended to the government makes a difference and we should admit that,” she stated, assuring the UNFPA and the UK High Commission that this money will be utilised in line with the work plan,

The NBS is currently engaged in data analysis, she said, pointing at the institutional work plan accessed on the website, citing the need for support by UNFPA in collaboration with the government.

This way NBS can reach out to the district level and the lower scaling to the base level for them to utilise information generated from population and housing surveys, she remarked.

Data analysis proceeded from having to respond to ‘decentralization by devolution’ to the district level, this being the main activities where NBS cooperated with UNFPA and the Planning Commission, she further noted.

Anne Makinda, the census commissioner, applauded UNFPA and the High Commission, as having enabled other donor agencies to engage with NBS.

UNFPA has supported NBS through the census process to the third data phase that proceeds to disseminate the analysis findings to the public, she said.

The third phase is proceeding very well, with NBS facilitators meeting so many groups especially at the grassroots level, who appreciate the data as they can understand it clearly, she stated.

Mark Schreiner, the UNFPA country representative, reaffirmed the long-standing partnership with the NBS, pledging greater cooperation in support of the national development agenda, where statistics is a key component.

UNFPA looks forward to discussion on the pursuit of this engagement “but even more on the national development agenda that statistics is at its base,” he added.