The NEWS (Monrovia)
15 August 2008
Monrovia — An Act seeking to authorize the executive branch of government to allocate US$1million in every fiscal budget for the smooth conduct of national census in the future has been introduced at the House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Lofa County Representative Eugene Fallah Kparkar, the Act was introduced Thursday during regular session.
The proposed law was read for the first time at Thursday's session following which it was sent to the committee room for review. The second reading is expected next week when brought to the floor. After that reading, it could constitute a third reading, provided the lawmakers decide to enact it due to its urgency.
Lawmakers who are pushing the new legislation have given legal justification for their decision. They said the new law would enable government to allocate sufficient money for the census every ten years other than soliciting financial assistance from donors which at times become complex.
According to the proposed Act, immediately upon its passage, the Executive Branch of government shall proceed every fiscal year to appropriate and reserve US$1 million for the conduct of National Census.
Section II of the proposed Act authorizes members of the Legislature to immediately include said amount in the next fiscal budget, and subsequent ones until the conduct of national census within ten years.
"There is a widespread recognition that the availability of sufficient financial and other resources for the conduct of future national censuses is ethical to prevent the hardships that were experienced during the 2008 National Population and Housing Census," the Act stressed.
Sponsors of the Act observed that the 2008 census experienced an unanticipated donor pullout, resulting to serious financial difficulties and other unnecessary impediments during the entire process.
The lawmakers believed that the census is important in providing data for national socio-economic planning for the development of the country as well as improving the understanding of the Liberian people about socio-demographic and economic characteristics for the population of the country.
Article 39 of the Liberian constitution empowers the National Legislature to cause the census of Liberia to be undertaken in every ten years, and same should be undertaken by the government.
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