By Staff Writer
The enumerators of the pre-census and national identity card are finally able to work smoothly under a new time scheduled that extended survey hours up to 7.00pm in the evening.
The survey is made popular with the added chore of handing out $50 per person to all the families visited.
The enumerators were at first timed to work from 9.00am to 3.00pm under the scheduled until it ran into a host of problems after the first week.
“We were not getting people away at work and students attending school because we were forced to return early under the Ministry of Finance requirements,” Government Statistician Ali’imuamua Malaefono Ta’aloga explained.
“Daily accounting of the money we were carrying to cater for the $50 handout needed to be done so we had to finish up before the end of the working day.
“The timing was difficult for our work because we were used to working up to 8.00pm in the evening with our census surveys to make it easier to catch every one at home.”
The problem of people missing from home showed up on the first Saturday of the survey at the EFKS Youth Hall, Sogi, with a massive turnout of people to collect their money.
The new finishing time at 7.00pm in the evening was at the advice of the Ministry of Police because money were being carted around by the workers.
“ Our surveying teams are able to return for a second run from 3.00pm onwards to catch the students returning from school and the workers after work.”
Ali’imalemanu confirmed that the changes turned out for the better for the enumerators with not as many missing people turning up on Saturdays to collect their $50 tala.
The combined enumeration survey is on schedule to be completed by 21 October 2020.
