By Staff Writer
Survey teams are already spreading out into village communities for the combined pre-census and identity cards data collection for the next three weeks.
More importantly is the disbursement of the $50 stimulus give away for every person registered in the families.
Up close and personal questions mostly to do with personal health are in the pre-census question.
Questions like are you able to use the bathroom unassisted or do you have any eyesight problems and what are they are put across by the enumerators.
The team also take photos of each family member including babies for the national identify card project.
Cards are issued for absent family members to call into the Office of the Bureau of Statistics to take their photos and collect their $50.
“So far we have not had any complaints or rejections by families we have visited since we started,” assured a team leader in one of the groups canvassing the urban outskirts of Apia.
The surveyors are organised into groups of separate teams assigned selected families in each village to cover.
Each team has a leader, computer operator and a money person assigned from the Ministry of Finance to carry the moneybag and concentrate solely on getting people signed up for their money.
“We are mindful of the money we carry around with us so we have to make sure not to work too late,” the team leader working the urban locations said.
The team finishes up in each family by placing a census sticker in a convenient place at the home to confirm that it has already been survey.
Reports, however, have reached the survey organisers that people are removing stickers and pasting them as decorations on cars.
The surveyors have to be flexible in their work with families not at home by moving on to return later.
There are 20 teams carrying out the survey with 15 assigned to the more populated Upolu and 5 in Savaii.
Worked started this week with teams spread out according to pre-selected areas around the country.
The Bureau of Statistics undertakes the national census every 5 years and the next one is due next year in 2021.
The collection of data and the locating of families during the pre-census survey started this week is all part of the build up to the main enumeration work next year, 2021.
Data for ID cards are necessary for the Government to go ahead with the new national policy.