TIRANA, Sept 24 /ATA/ From September 18, more than 5,000 census enumerators have been out in the field to collect the necessary information on the population and housing in the country.
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, Endrit Yzeiraj, in a statement for ATA, emphasizes that counting the population and housing is a very important process, especially for the drafting of the economic and social policies of the country.
He underlines that the declaration by the citizens is an obligation.
“It is an obligation because only through the data we collect from the census, the Albanian public agencies, at the central and local level, can develop adequate policies to serve their communities. So we need to have all the demographic information to develop policies that cater to their needs”, Yzeiri told ATA.
“Like any other country, we have experienced population displacement. We have demographic movements within the country as well. The census gives us a clear snapshot to know where the population really lives, because there are cases when residents are registered in one city, but live in another city”, he said.
In an interview for ATA, Yzeiraj pointed out that based on the data that will come out, the institutions will be able to accurately plan the necessary interventions and services for the residents.
“We will be more clear where new schools, hospitals, new health centers should be built, where sewers should be laid, or where other infrastructure investments will be made. We need to understand where businesses are located, and what types of businesses, in order to bring the right services there. We need to know the types of business activities, that is, what Albanian citizens do today. We need to understand what challenges the business grapples with so that we can design incentives for them”, he emphasized.
Likewise, the deputy minister informed that there are questions about the quality of citizens’ housing, as they are important to see the living standard of citizens and, above all, to address housing needs through tailor-made policies.
“In Albanian cities there are plenty of buildings dating from the first years of communism, which saw significant demographic growth, or buildings during the period of displacement from rural to urban areas. Today, some of these housing may no longer offer the right quality and standards. Today, municipalities have to think about their urban plans, where new housing will be built, the standards they should have. Therefore, it is important for citizens to participate, because it is an exercise that only serves policy-making”, the deputy minister told ATA.
Based on these data, he added, we will grasp the level of inequality between areas and know where to put the greatest focus in order to promote economic development.
According to him, earlier next summer, we will have accurate data based on which the 2025 budget will be drawn up, channeling more funds to the most needy strata.
Yzeiraj also stressed the importance of accurate statistics in the the European accession process.
“Whenever we report to Brussels on different sectors, it is required that the analysis is based on accurate data. “Future strategies and those related to renewable energy and energy efficiency in housing are questions that will begin to be answered after the census,” Yzeiraj told ATA.
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