Yangon, a city of eight million? Not yet, according to govt

Yangon, a city of eight million? Not yet, according to govt

By Pyae Thet Phyo   |   Friday, 30 May 2014

The Department of Population has dismissed a post-census report that eight million people now live in Yangon, saying it has yet to release any figures.

"There are many rumours about the population list after April 10. One journal reported that the government had announced Yangon's urban population is eight million. We deny that news. At the moment, we haven't announced any population figures yet," said U Nyi Nyi, director of the Department of Population.

According to the department the preliminary results of Myanmar's first census in more than three decades will be published in August, and the final results of the census will be published in early 2015.

He said department officials are still processing the data gathered during the census, which was conducted from March 30 to April 10 and extended through to June 10 in some regions.

"There may be many mistakes in the current list because those figures are calculated by hand. So we haven't publicised any list," U Nyi Nyi said.

The first phase of the department of population's checking process is counting the packs of census forms that are sent in to Nay Pyi Taw from all states and regions.

Once this is done the heads of the townships are called one at a time to the Department of Population in Nay Pyi Taw where 11 checking groups from the census head office are gathered.

"They first open the pack and count the census forms to know whether the numbers on the list each township official gave and the numbers of forms in the pack are the same or not," U Nyi Nyi said.

The checked packs are then signed off by both the head of the township and the department and filed in a store room in the department's head office.

"Although the department hopes the checking process will be completed in more than one month, it will probably take about two months to finish it," U Nyi Nyi said.

As of May 21, the department had finished checking census packs from Mandalay Region and Rakhine, Kachin and Kayin states, and was in the process of checking forms from northern Shan State.

– Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/05/30/yangon-a-city-of-eight-million-not-yet-according-to-govt/