PRIME Minister Mr Kassim Majaliwa has directed all executives responsible for policies and plans' implementations under the Central Government and the President's Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) to integrate the 2022 Population and Housing Census' results to deliver services to citizens.
"I re-emphasise the incorporation of the Population and Housing Census' results in all levels of administration, especially as we strategise to execute various development programmes for the citizens," Mr Majaliwa said in Dar es Salaam, over the weekend during the inauguration ceremony of Census Demographic Report.
He said the census' results act as the foundation for the administrators including District Executive Directors (DEDs), District Commissioners (DCs), Regional Commissioners (RCs) and ministers to harmonise with the current socio-economic indicators and set concrete priorities for citizens' sustainable development.
"The report has profound contribution in formulating various policies for the citizens' economic welfare and prosperity at large," Mr Majaliwa said.
Highlighting the report specifically on the development of the energy sector, Mr Majaliwa said the country has observed an upward trend in clean energy use.
He said households using electricity for cooking in 2022 shot to 4.3 per cent from 1.6 per cent in 2012, while gas use increased to 9.4 per cent from 0.9 per cent in the corresponding period.
More significantly, he pointed out that the use of firewood has been reduced from 68.5 per cent in 2012 to 55.5 per cent in 2022.
He insisted that the government's goal is to widen access and use of clean energy to 90 per cent in 2030.
On the other hand, he said education sector experienced stunning progress in term of literacy rate increase of 83 per cent in 2022 from 72 per cent in 2012.
In that regard, he demanded the executives to use the census' results to mobilise in innovations and sustainable solutions for addressing citizens' challenges.
In another development, he said the last digital census in history of Tanzania stands as an example to other countries in Africa and worldwide.
Mr Majaliwa noted that the country has been invited several times at the United Nations (UN) to share its experience in conducting digital census, so that other countries which are heading to the exercise can utilise the approach.
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For his part, Second VicePresident of Zanzibar, Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, who doubles as the Co-chair of the National Census Committee urged academicians to interpret the census results by making them understandable to every citizen and development stakeholders.
On his part, Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office (Union and Environment), Dr Suleiman Jafo congratulated President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her counterpart, Dr Hussein Mwinyi of Zanzibar for leading the Union into the fullest undertaking of the 2022 census.
He said the two presidents apart from championing the implementation of the census have also been utilising the demographic statistics in planning and providing required social services in the country.
Commenting, the National Census Commissioner Ms Anne Makinda said the country made significant investments to ensure the census' data are included in all levels of development needed to meet international standards.
She said the demographic report identifies investment areas to optimise human capital development and enhance economic growth.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Tanzania Mr Mark Bryan Schreiner said the population data and projections are critical in enhancing investment and planning and adapting institutions, infrastructures, social policies and services to new and emerging demographic realities.
"The report's launch is particularly critical, given the ongoing process to develop Vision 2050," he said.
