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Commerce clarifies: We are doing household surveys
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Posted on Aug 20 2019
A representative of the CNMI Department of Commerce clarified last week that the department is not preparing for the decennial CNMI Census, but rather the CNMI-wide household surveys.
CNMI Central Statistics Division director Justin Andrew notified Saipan Tribune that the Department of Commerce is starting preparations for the CNMI Household Survey/Census Map and Address Register Update, not the 2020 Census.
“This survey [or] census map and address register update is not related and has nothing to do with the 2020 Census. The update is a local initiative that serves the needs of our locally-run household surveys,” he wrote.
According to a statement from the Torres administration, the Commerce Department is set to conduct the 2019 CNMI Household Survey/Census Map and Address Register this month beginning on Tinian in mid-August, Rota in early September, and on Saipan in mid-September.
“Keeping an accurate count of homes and their respective conditions, as well as accounting for the number of residents we have in the CNMI are vital resources for policymaking. This information will provide a better understanding of our resources following the devastation of Super Typhoon Yutu,” Torres said in the statement.
Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios added that the data collected will influence how the administration comes up with policies across the board.
Commerce Secretary Mark Rabauliman was quoted in the statement as saying that this survey only happens once in 10 years.
“…Although we are only describing houses and taking a count of people, the operation provides a wealth of information that our policymakers and business leaders can use for economic development and social improvements,” he said.
“My [Central Statistics Division] staff and all temporary mappers have been sworn to uphold the confidentiality of all information collected under the CNMI Statistical Act of 1990, and I urge our residents and community to take some time to welcome our mappers to their neighborhoods and villages to help complete this important project,” he added.
