Restrain aggressive pets during census exercise
Residents are being urged to restrain aggressive pets when enumerators visit their homes to collect vital information as part of the Census 2023 process which gets underway in June.
Director of the Central Statistics Office Mr. Raymond Phillips said aggressive pets were a big concern when personnel carried out the census exercise in 2010. He said some pet owners refused to restrain their animals and this posed a threat to enumerators.
“They refused to tie the animals and that is the reason why some households were not enumerated,” Phillips explained. He appealed to residents to be polite when interacting with enumerators who will be taking on a daunting task, travelling across the territory to collect vital information that will be used in the development of the territory.
“Some persons (enumerators) quit on us because it is so daunting. Sometimes residents are quite rude and some enumerators say they didn’t sign up for that. So just like I’m asking enumerators to be patient and understanding, I’ll also be asking the population to be understanding. It is something we have to do and it is very difficult. Bear with us, it’s in everybody’s best interest to get this done and get it done properly,” Phillips explained.
He said enumerators will be guided by digital maps as they endeavour to visit every home in the territory to gather information about how persons live in the Virgin Islands. Residents can expect enumerators in the evening hours and on weekends because many persons work outside of the home and wouldn’t be available to participate in the process during regular work hours.
“I know we have some gated communities here also. Persons in those communities could call our office and say what is the best time to come and we will relay that information to the enumerators who cover that area.”
In the meantime, Phillips urged residents to be truthful as the information collected will be used to guide the territory’s development over the next 10 years. At the same time, Phillips said his office is well aware that some individuals will withhold the truth because they fear sensitive information might be revealed.
“When it comes to personal information like illnesses and income, persons have a tendency to want to keep to themselves. But for the most part, I think persons are truthful and I hope they’ll be truthful because they will use this information to plan,” Phillips said.
Enumerators are expected to collect information from June to August this year, but may continue data collection until the end of the year.
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Come to our homes during reasonable times
Aggressive pets should ALWAYS be restrained!!!
just like government want you to make appointment to simple drop off a passport form or go the land registry etc, same way, make an appointment with people. My dog them loose in my yard and they train to pull down ANY uninvited person. I not expecting you, don’t come. Open my closed gate and walk in, you take what you get. The gate done mark BEWARE OF DOGS so open and enter at your own risk
is rude. We all have to make appointments to conduct business with various BVI government departments. Likewise the Census enumerators should make an appointment with the individual residents in the villages being enumerated.
““When it comes to personal information like illnesses and income, persons have a tendency to want to keep to themselves. But for the most part, I think persons are truthful and I hope they’ll be truthful because they will use this information to plan,” Phillips said.”
IT IS PRIVATE INFORMATION NOT TO BE TOLD TO PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS CARRYING NEWS.
I was never counted in the last census . Enumerators never came to my house even though they said they were coming and I do not have a dog.
…all these questions in advance. Publish them here. I’m very interested to see the income ranges, will they really capture the range from “mind numbing poverty” all the way to “more money than god”? I doubt it.
Are we living in the 1940’s where smartphones and internet have yet to reach our shores?!? Why can’t the form be available online? That way persons can fill out their information online saving time and precious resources? Just an idea….wait for it….
If you come on my property unexpected you do so at your own risk. Reason we have guard dogs fool! Gov better figure out a better way. How about electronically? Duh….
Government have no right to be on my property, you want to talk make an appointment- don’t be walking in my gate where my dogs are, you violating their space.
BVI constitution – 19 (2) Except with his or her own consent, no person shall be subjected to the search of his or her person or property or the entry by others on his or her premises.
There is always a better way of doing things and plenty room for improvement. I don’t need to tell these people how to do their jobs. Government have the largest employment these census forms can be email to all government users to be completed and return.
Give all department heads the responsibility to ensure these forms are completed. Then Statistics Unit can set a day and time to collect these forms from each individuals in the various departments. The forms can also be email if they want to go that route. That’s a great number of house hold you have just targeted.
Then you target the local business, do the same thing email the forms to the HR persons who will disseminate the forms to the employees and statistics go and collect the completed forms from each individual.
Here you have a greater number of persons participating and census completed. The Government will not have to spend a cent to pay persons to conduct these census. Where there is no vision the people perish.
One would really think that twelve years after the last census that this department- CSO would have upgraded the system to collect the information on line rather than having to employ so many persons to go from house to house on government expense ( and most importantly taking the risk to endanger their lives with these ferocious dogs). Technology is the in thing and 95% of the population has access to it, so why not consider this option. In addition, exemptions can be made for those persons who cannot complete the survey on line. So please, get with it and live in the 21st century era. It’s by far more economical and more convenient too.
I train my dogs specifically to take down clipboard holding government officials!!!!
Love your idea! The government need to get digital reality is before us and we want to use 1960 methodology. Please government add this to the online statistics where people just log on and In information.