Ghana will conduct its fifth population and housing census in 2010, a move that will determine the actual population of the country by the time. The last time the country carried out such historical event was in 2000. The census results or data would allow for an informed policy formulation that will aid programme implementation and socio economic development. To this end, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, with support from the Government Statistician, Dr. Grace Bediako and Board Chairman of the Ghana Statistical Service, Professor S.K Odoom, yesterday inaugurated two committees, the National Census Planning Committee and National Census Advisory Committee. The committees have been tasked to provide policy guidance and direction for the conduct of the overall census programme as well as review, appraise and monitor various census plans and activities prior to and during their implementation among others. Since the last census in 2000, the country has undergone changes in the population distribution and settlement pattern in many areas due to the creation of additional districts from 110 to 170, with migration induced by uneven economic development in the districts and regions. To avoid the creation of data gaps, Mr. Baah-Wiredu said there was the need for Ghana to organize the 2010 census in a bid to restore the 10-year periodicity for conducting censuses and provide current, reliable information on the population and housing conditions. Ghana presently has a huge housing deficit of about 600,000, according to a 2004 survey. The Finance Minister explained that population and housing census is probably the single most expensive, complicated and extensive statistical operation that a country undertakes, thus it is the duty of government to ensure the provision of reliable statistics to facilitate informed decision making. He added that the Government of Ghana was committed to mobilizing the needed resources to ensure the smooth implementation of the 2010 population and housing census. “Again, in order to ensure that the diverse operations are carried out in the right sequence and in timely manner, the entire process needs to be carefully planned, using appropriate organisational and administrative procedures.” Since it is the expectation of the United Nations and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) that all countries take a census, and indeed many have taken their census as the middle of the census decade (2005-2014) approaches, the Government Statistician assured government that it would ensure the complete count of its population in this current decade. Over 30,000 field workers would be needed over a period of two weeks to complete the exercise. Source: Daily Guide