The National Census will commence next week and Prime Minister James Marape wants all Papua New Guineans to fully participate in the census, which will be held from June 17th to the 30th. “I want all Papua New Guineans, whether you are in the country or overseas, to take part in the National Census as it is very important to plan for the future of our country,” he said. “Knowing who you are is very important so that the government can plan for you. We need to know who you are, where you are and what you do, among other things, so that we can start planning more effectively for the development of the country.” “The National Census aims to gather essential population data to aid governmental planning across various sectors. The aim is to count every citizen as well as every residence.” "Knowing this will enable us to plan for education, health, infrastructure, law and order, small to medium enterprises (SMEs), and various other government interventions." The prime minister stressed that the government wanted this to be a cost-effective and quality census that would deliver results instead of being an expensive event. “This census is a high-priority event of this government and we are giving our full support to Administrative Services Minister, Richard Masere and the National Statistical Office to ensure that the census is carried out successfully.” “I want to appeal to all agencies of State, all provincial governments, all districts, all local-level governments, and all our citizens to assist your country in delivering the 2024 National Census.” “I appeal to everyone to get behind Minister Masere and his team, who have been working so hard to get the 2024 National Census off the ground, to ensure that it is carried out successfully.” Marape also thanked all stakeholders, including overseas partners and agencies for their support in helping the nation prepare for the census.