Takoradi August.18, GNA-It is mandatory for everybody to be counted in the 2010 Population and Housing Census, Mr. Anthony Pharin, a Principal Statistician at the Census Secretariat, said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a sensitization programme on the census for members of Western Regional and District Census Implementation Committees and the media at Takoradi.

Mr. Pharin said people are to cooperate with census enumerators when they come to their homes to count them.

He said the census is backed by law which requires the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and Census officials to keep all data gathered strictly confidential.

Mr. Pharin said the GSS cannot share the census data with anybody and agencies including the security services so people should provide the correct information.

He said a non-census official cannot handle census questionnaires and data collected would be used for development purposes.

Mr. Pharin said the data from the census would not be used for taxation, to expel non-Ghanaians from the country and the listing of homes is not meant for the demolition of houses.

He said midnight September, 26, 2010, has been set aside as the Census Night and all enumeration should relate to this as the Reference Point.

Mr. Pharin said Ghanaians and Non-Ghanaians living in the country would be enumerated on the Census Night.

He said Heads of Households should provide the personal details on every household member and all visitors who spent the Census Night in the house.

Mr. Pharin said house to house enumeration would begin on September 27 and during the two-week programme, people on admission at health facilities, the mentally sick and other persons with disability as well as children would also be counted to enable planners to make provisions for them.

Earlier, Mr. David Yaro, Chief Director at the Western Regional Coordinating Council, asked the public to guard against fake census officials who would want to derail the programme.

He urged census officials not to allow crooks to have access to census materials to enrich themselves.

Mr. Yaro further asked the people to cooperate for the GSS to come out with good and accurate information for planning and development purposes.

He said the nation cannot plan properly and make progress in absence of accurate population and housing data.

According to him, data from the census would provide data for investors who want to take advantage of business opportunities in the country.