The Minister of National Development Planning Honourable Alexander Chiteme, MP, today announced that the Government is this week concluding to pay all outstanding balances to contracted personnel that worked in the Pilot Census as well as the Mapping and Listing exercises. Addressing a media briefing in Lusaka, Hon. Chiteme said the completion of the Mapping and Listing, as well as the Pilot Census, demonstrates Government’s commitment to the undertaking of the main Census. “I am pleased to inform the nation that, the Pilot Census was successfully completed in all the selected districts on 12th December 2020. The Mapping and Listing was successfully completed in all the 116 districts in the third quarter of 2020. These are major achievements considering the numerous challenges in 2020,” Hon. Chiteme announced. “Let me also state that outstanding balances to contracted personnel under these two exercises are currently being paid-out in all provinces. We expect all payments to be completed this week. Thank you to the more than 3500 personnel mostly grade 12 school leavers that were recruited to carry out the aforementioned activities in various communities of Zambia under the supervision of the Zambia Statistics Agency.”