PBS to procure digital scanners for Census Data Compilation

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has finalized the arrangements to conduct the 6^th census in Pakistan’s history. For the purpose of automatic compilation and publication of population data, PBS has procured eight digital scanners and is in the process of acquiring four more on reserve purpose.

PBS is following Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules for the procurement of this equipment.

55 million census forms will be used in the upcoming census. These census forms have been designed in such a way that they will be read through computer based scanners. Each of the scanners will be capable of scanning 100 forms per minute with extreme accuracy resulting in the accurate count.

The process will be completed in two phases. The first phase will include most regions of Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan while in the regions of FATA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir the process will be conducted in the second phase.

The population has been divided into 168,120 census blocks with each block consisting of 200 houses. A single enumerator would have the responsibility to count two blocks.

The total cost for the procedure has been estimated to be about Rs. 30 billion which will ensure a smooth and secure process. Rs. 7.5 billion have been released to provinces to make necessary arrangements for the process.