The National Statistical Office (NSO) has assured all people who participated in the 2018 Population and Housing Census (PHC) that their remaining honoraria will not be delayed.
There have been complaints from those who were entrusted by NSO to collect data regarding the delay in getting their training payment. The statistical body hired the services of enumerators and field supervisors as well as centre and district supervisors.
Malawi24 has learnt that some of the workers are yet to receive their training allowances, weeks after the exercise was concluded.
Speaking during a press briefing in Blantyre yesterday, NSO commissioner Mercy Kanyuka assured all those who took part in the program of timely payment. She admitted the body delayed payments for some of the census workers due to a number of challenges.
“Nobody`s payment is going to be delayed. Yes, we delayed training allowances for close to 1300 census workers due to bank accounts problems. Now we have the correct bank account details, hence everyone is going to get paid on time,” said Kanyuka.
However, she did not reveal the exact time as to when the concerned parties will reap their final honoraria.
Field supervisors and enumerators are supposed to get K150,000 and K120,000 respectively for labour. The training allowance was pegged at K120,000 for the aforementioned groups which others are yet to receive.
The Population and Housing Census started on 3rd September. It was supposed to be concluded on 23rd September. However, delays in delivery of relevant equipment in some areas forced a late start in some areas.
According to Kanyuka, close to 99.5% of the job has been done which NSO is satisfied with. Preliminary results of the census are expected to be released in December.
