ASEAN MEETING ON THE 2010 ROUND OF POPULATION AND

HOUSING CENSUSES SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

(JULY 31 –AUGUST 2, 2006)

COUNTRY STATEMENT CAMBODIA

1. Introduction 1.1 The Royal Kingdom of Cambodia situated in South-east Asia is spread over 181,035 square kilometers. It is bound by Laos on the north-east, by Viet Nam on the east and south-east, by Thailand on the west and north-west and by the Gulf of Thailand on the southwest.. A low –lying alluvial plain at the central part accounts for most of the country. To the south-east of the plain lies the Mekong river delta. To the east, the south-west and the north there are mountain ranges serving as natural barriers. Though a developing country, Cambodia has forests which are rich in valuable timber. Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat, the world’s largest cultural monument built between the ninth and twelfth centuries attracts tourists from far and near. Cambodia is administratively divided into 24 provinces, 185 districts, 1621 communes and 13,886 villages. 1.2 Therawada Buddhism is the state religion. Most of the people are Buddhists. Khmer is the national language. The country suffered from a combination of war and internal strife from more than two decades that caused mass destruction and deterioration of the social and economic infrastructure of the country. With peace finally setting in most parts of Cambodia and with the establishment of a Democratic Government in 1993, massive reconstruction efforts have been under way to rehabilitate the country from the ravages of war.Cambodia’s economy which has undergone many changes over the years is today in transition towards a free market economy. Cambodia is among the poorest countries of the world. Approximately 36 per cent of Cambodia’s population is living below the poverty line according to 1997 socio-economic survey data. 2. Censuses in the past 2.1 Cambodia which was under French rule became an independent nation in 1953. The first census conducted in 1962 revealed a population of 5.729 million. No nation-wide count of the population took place during the 1970s because of civil strife and disruption. An administrative count of the population carried out in 1980 by the Government of the People’s Republic of Kampuc hea following the Khmer Rouge regime enumerated a population of 6.590 million. The population census conducted in March 1998 was the first census since 1962. During the 36-year interval, the much needed comprehensive population data for social and econom ic planning had been lacking. After 1980, the first data on economic and social characteristics of the population were provided by the Socio-Economic Survey of Cambodia, 1993/1994. That survey yielded valuable estimates for the whole country, Phnom Penh, other urban areas, and rural areas, but not for individual provinces or lower administrative levels. In preparation for the 1998 population census, the National Institute of Statistics conducted the Demographic Survey of Cambodia in March 1996, which covered about 20,000 households. Among other social indicators, the Survey enabled estimates of fertility and mortality to be made at the national level. Survey data were presented only for the country as a whole and rural and urban areas. The national population total of 10.7 million persons estimated by the Demographic Survey of Cambodia in March 1996 was roughly consistent with the population count in 1980, with plausible assumptions regarding mortality and international migration. 2.2 The United Nations recommends that a national census be taken every ten years. The new Statistics Law of Cambodia that came into force in March 2004 also lays down that population census should be conducted at least once every ten years. Cambodia which did not have periodical censuses

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in the past would conduct a population and housing census once in ten years beginning 1998. The Royal government of Cambodia (RGC) is implementing a reform process that is basically poverty oriented. Apart from a series of governance reforms that have been initiated, major programs of economic and social infrastructure development are in progress. A wide range of population and socio-economic statistics is very much needed for monitoring the development, making assessments, and guiding further policy formulation in respect of these reforms. Following the success in the creation of a valuable population database as a result of the 1998 Census, the RGC is committed to further build and strengthen the population database through the next census. There has been an increase in the demand of governmental agencies, planners and researchers for reliable and updated demographic and social data in order to review their plans and programs. Though the next commune elections and national elections are scheduled for 2007 and 2008 respectively, the next census could still be held in the year 2008, as there will be a gap of about three to four months between the two operations. 3. The Last Census in1998 3.1 The 1998 Census, the most recent census, was conducted with the reference date of 3 March 1998. It enumerated a total of 11,437,656 persons. A post-enumeration survey (PES) was carried out soon after the census in 100 enumeration areas in order to estimate the completeness of coverage and the accuracy of reporting on some census questions. The PES estimated that there was a net undercount of 1.78 per cent of the population by the census . In addition to this undercount, there were some villages and districts in the provinces of Odar Mean Chey, Banteay Mean Chey, Battambang and Pursat that were not enumerated for security reasons. The National Institute of Statistics estimated that the population of these areas combined equaled 45,000. At the time of the census, there were 60,000 Cambodians temporarily displaced to camps in Thailand and they were properly not included in the census. As they all returned to Cambodia later in 1998, however, they may be considered to be part of the population of the country. 3.2 The holding of a census in 1998 marked the process of recovery of Cambodia to increasing stability and normalization and placed the country back on the demographic map of the world. All of those involved in planning, research and development, from policy makers and administrators to businesspersons and investors, were benefited by the wealth of data produced by the census. Most of the results of the 1998 Census were released in about a year through printed reports and electronic media. The other notable achievements of the census are:

• Incorporation of population dynamics and demographic variables in all aspects of development planning.

• Release of population projections at National and provincial levels • Formulation of a National Population policy for Cambodia • Production of priority Tables and socio-economic indicators used in policy and research • Publication of analytical reports useful for sector planning • National Capacity building on large scale data collection, processing, analysis and

dissemination. • Creation of village databases • Development of computerized geographical database for population data. • Population database with WinR+ • Reclassification of urban areas in Cambodia based on a consistent set of criteria • Development of Master Sample • Administrative and Health Facility Mapping

3.3 The 1998 Census together with the 2000 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (2000 CDHS) and the 2004 Cambodia Inter -censal Population Survey (2004CIPS) have contributed in a large measure to benchmarking important aspects of socio economic conditions of the people of Cambodia. In the absence of a satisfactory civil registration system these sources provide fairly

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reliable data on levels, patterns and trends of fertility and mortality in the country. The set of population projections prepared on the basis of these sources facilitate informed decision-making. 3.4 The available population data provide a picture of population size, structure and growth rates, along with estimates of fertility and mortality. The population characteristics of Cambodia, while being similar to those of some of the comparable developing countries, reflect distinctively the consequences of war and political instability in the recent past. The effects of high mortality and large scale out migration from the country during the Khmer rouge period (1975-79) are revealed by very low sex ratios in the age groups 40-44 onwards. The largest cohort reported by the census is that of ages 5 –9 closely followed by the cohort of ages 10-14. This may be attributed to a baby boom reported in the early 1980s after the Khmer Rouge era ended and an estimated high fertility in the following years. 3.5. The 2000CDHS estimated the Total fertility Rate (TFR) for 1998 as 4 children per woman. This marked a substantial decline from 6 children and more per woman estimated for th e 1980s.The direct estimate of TFR from the 2004 CIPS has revealed a further decline of TFR to 3.3. Infant and child mortality have shown declining trends after a period of erratic variations within a high level range. 3.6 According to the projections made, population of Cambodia will continue to grow in spite of the fertility decline. The rate of population growth during the second half of the present decade would be high with an average annual rate of 1.9 per cent. This is due to what is called populatio n momentum that occurs when the large cohorts of women that were born during the period of high fertility rates (1980-1995) reach the reproductive age. By the end of the decade the country’s population would touch 15 million. 3.7 The preliminary results of the census held in March 1998 were released with a brief analysis in the form of a report (September 1998). The report was based mainly on the field population totals by province, disaggregated by sex. The final results of the census, at the national and provincial level, were released in September 1999.It included an analysis of salient demographic and social aspects as revealed by the census. This was followed by the production of several analytical census reports and data sets in CD-ROMs based on more than 50 statistical tables covering all priority areas recommended by the international statistical guidelines for census tabulation. The findings of the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) confirmed the high quality of the fieldwork and the high-level of cooperation and response from the public at large in the census operations. 3.8 The initial population projections made was extensively used by the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Planning and other line Ministries. The census reports were translated in Khmer for easy understanding by civil service officers and the public. Several dissemination workshops were held in Phnom Penh and in provincial headquarters with participants drawn from the user departments at central, provincial, and district and commune levels. NGOs and researchers also participated in some of these workshops. Apart from familiarizing the participants with the census results these dissemination workshops trained the participants in the utilization of census data available in census publications and CD-ROMs. Overall the fact that the data from the census were adopted as the official national statistics by all Ministries and departments of the ROG, NGOs, international agencies and researchers had given further credibility to it. 3.9 To put it in a nutshell, the implementation of the census analysis and its dissemination resulted in strengthening the development planning process in Cambodia at various levels, and ensuring that demographic concerns were taken into consideration within various sector plans and programmes. UNFPA support to the analysis and dissemination of census data initially, and the 2000 CDHs and 2004CIPS data subsequently, is continuing.

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4. Lessons Learnt from the 1998 Census 4.1 In 1993 -94 when a decision was taken by the Royal government of Cambodia to take a census there was hardly any trained staff or equipment. UNFPA provided the technical and financial assistance to the tune of seven million US dollars that made the census possible. The census office as part of NIS was almost started from scratch. Two resident advisers, one for census and the other for data processing, assisted in establishing a well equipped census office and training staff .The UNFPA census project provided for training of several staff in census and demographic statistics in renowned institutions abroad. There has been a continuous effort in national capacity building in NIS. The different surveys carried out with donor assistance have always included promotion of national capacity. At present the NIS is having well qualified and experienced staff to carry out the census. However it is still necessary to expose the national staff to various latest developments in the fields of data processing, GIS and census analysis. 4.2 Computer applications were developed for data processing in the 1998 Census with the assistance of the Data Processing Adviser. Thanks to the intense training, NIS has a core staff who can undertake training of census enumerators and supervisors, data entry, coding, edit ing and tabulation. However, the staff may still need guidance in programming for the 2008 census data processing. 4.3 For field work the traditional method of manual data collection was adopted in the 1998 census and will be continued in the 2008 Census also. Perhaps in subsequent censuses modern techniques in field work (e.g. OMR ) and scanning of the filled-in questionnaires would be tried with development and improved facilities and resources. As for the field work conducted for the 1998 Census it was done very satisfactorily as training was organized and imparted systematically at all levels and the enumerators and supervisors, mostly primary and secondary school teachers did their work with a spirit of dedication. In the 1998 Census, village maps , very essential for the census , could not be digitized. For the 2008 Census, with the assistance of JICA, it is proposed to digitize village and Enumeration Area maps which will enable GIS applications. Thus there will be a great improvement in pre-census cartography at the 2008 census. 4.4 The public information and education campaign for the 1998 census was carried out as a separate project with the technical assistance of UNESCO and funding by UNFPA. It proved very successful in enlisting the cooperation of the public for census taking. The census logo of “Chumroeun” became very popular and people throughout the length and breadth of the country were awaiting the visit of the census enumerator during the enumeration period and willingly cooperated with the enumerator. Census publicity was conducted through radio and TV talk and messages, pamphlets, banners, folk songs, skits, newspapers, provincial, district and commune meetings etc. The notable contribution for census publicity was from the village chiefs. They played a key role in informing the villagers, especially in the remote areas and in- not easily accessible hilly tracts, about the importance of census and the need for the public to cooperate with the enumerator by giving truthful information about their respective household members. In the 2008 census special efforts will be taken to sensitize the village chiefs and encourage them to be census publicity agents. The people of Cambodia are now fairly familiar with census and survey operations. No difficulty is anticipated in this regard and the census is expected to be put through smoothly. 4.5 The census and surveys have helped so far in creating a core of subject-matter specialists. However there is a long way to go in having qualified staff who can undertake demographic analysis independently. For analysis of census data in the 1998 census a workshop was conducted for each topic with participation of international experts from ESCAP and UNFPA CST and Census Adviser, as well as national subject matter specialists. Prior to this, select staff (about 15) drawn from the NIS and other line Ministries concerned were trained at UNFPA CST, Bangkok on census analysis. As a result of the deliberations in the in-house census analysis workshops analytical reports were prepared and released by NIS on each topic like nuptiality, fertility and mortality, labour force, migration,

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education, housing and amenities, women in development and population projection. For the 2008 Census also it is very necessary to train staff in census analysis. 4.6 The 1998 Census data were widely disseminated from national to district level and were used for planning from the grass root level onwards. 5. Data Utilization during the Inter-Censal Period 5.1 From 1995 onwards a census office is functioning within NIS. It is located in a separate building in Phnom Penh. After the census fieldwork, data processing, analysis and dissemination of census data were undertaken by the census office. Apart from producing census tables, analytical reports and four CD-ROMs containing 1998 census data the census office of NIS promoted the availability, accessibility and utilization of population data in Cambodia (Project CMB/01/P04). Workshops were held in line Ministries, offices of international agencies and Provincial headquarters to disseminate census and other survey data. The provincial and district staff were also trained in the utilization of population data for planning and administration. 5.2 The census office has been assisted by UNFPA during the inter-censal period to conduct independent data collection, prepare reports of population and development data, make population projections, and improve the availability of population and development data in Cambodia. The data sets were used, among others, for population policy making and sectoral development based on high quality, reliable data. Short-term consultants were provided by UNFPA for these tasks. The outstanding activities of the census office in the Inter-censal period were the production of a revised urban classification for Cambodia in 2004, the Cambodia Inter-censal Population Survey in 2004 (2004 CIPS) and the implementation of the Administrative and Health Facility Mapping Project. These activities went a long way in sharpening the skills of the NIS and provincial staff in data collection, data processing, analysis and dissemination. 5.3 A Data User’s Service Center has been functioning from 2002. It facilitates data users by supplying population data and providing NIS publications that included census, CDHS, Socio-Economic Survey and other studies conducted. There is a reference library that helps data users and NIS staff to refer to books and materials on economics, statistics, demography, census, data processing and computers and NIS publications. Special tables not originally published are also prepared and given to data users at a nominal cost. The census data are also available on the website. 6. The next Census in 2008 6.1 The proposed 2008 Census would be very crucial at the present juncture when Cambodia is in the process of social and economic development. In fact it would act as the cornerstone of population statistics within the Statistical Master Plan of Cambodia. In particular the next census would be essential for the following reasons:

1. The 2008 Census would help in updating and comparing the population and other development indicators with reference to the census in 1998 that provided the benchmark data after a gap of more than three decades. It would also help to assess the trends and patterns in fertility, mortality, migration and other demographic and socio-economic variables over the last decade.

2. At the time of the 1998 Census the designation of places as urban and rural was based on only

administrat ive criteria, which were somewhat unsatisfactory for planning for the needs of actual urban-rural populations. There was no functional classification of the urban areas.

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Recognizing the need for a proper classification of urban areas, that was consistent with Cambodian conditions, and optimum for planning purposes, a reclassification of urban areas has been done by NIS on a scientific basis using the 1998 Census data on population density, percentage of male employment in agriculture and total population size at commune level. It is proposed to adopt the new urban classification for the 2008 Census and obtain fresh urban-rural population data for statistical purposes and urban planning.

3. RGC is committed to the MDGs. In the case of Cambodia, the MDGs are monitored at two points in time: 1998 and 2008. Hence, the 2008 census will have a very important role in monitoring MDG indicators, which were measured in 1998.

4. Due to security concerns, the 1998 Census could not cover the following areas in the

North West: (i) Whole district of Anlong Vaeng in Otdar Mean Chey province, Samlot in Battambang province and Veal Veang in Pursat province (ii) Ou Bei Choan village of Ou Chrov district in Banteay Mean Chey province. The 2008 Census will be planned to cover all areas without exception to have a complete enumeration of the population of Cambodia. Moreover due to several capacity building activities and progress of education in

the last decade, it will be possible to get the services of better-qualified and trained staff to function as enumerators and supervisors in all areas. For example, in the commune development plan within the decentralized concept of planning supported by SILA and UNICEF the technical group of the Ministry of Planning collects social data through village chiefs in all villages on an annual basis for the past four years to facilitate commune investment plan. The commune council members are trained to analyze and utilize them in commune level planning. This type of activity has created awareness among the provincial, district, commune level staff and village chiefs about the importance of data collection and use of data and strengthened their data collection skills. This is bound to improve the quality of data to be collected in the 2008 census in which these staff would play a big role.

5. The population projections for Cambodia available based on the 1998 Census, 2000 CDHS

and 2004CIPS have to be updated in the light of the next census. 6. The Master sample frame provided by the 1998 Census has been used for 2000CDHS and

several other household surveys. There is a need for an updated Master Sample frame based on the 2008 census to carry out socio-economic household surveys and inter -censal population/ demographic surveys.

7. The conducting of a major statistical exercise like the census will further help in improving

capabilities of professionals at the NIS. 8. One of the aims of the census is the establishment of comprehensive population databases,

which greatly expand the usability and enhance the dissemination of census data. The 2008 census will help create updated population databases.

6.2 The census will be conducted under the authority of exist ing Royal Decree. The Royal Sub-decree on Specification of census date, Organization and functioning of 2008 General Population Census was signed officially on 30 January 2006. According to this sub-decree, Cambodia will conduct the population census March 3, 2008.Samdech Prime Minister of Cambodia presided over the National Launch of 2008 Census of Cambodia Plan which was attended by about 300 senior government officials, representatives of international and non-governmental organizations. The Prime Minister exhorted the participants about the importance and need of census statistics for planning for the development of Cambodia and called for the cooperation of all concerned. 6.3 The National Census Committee (NCC) under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Interior has been established by the Royal Government of Cambodia for giving

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overall guidance to the Ministry of Planning in implementing and conducting the General Population Census of Cambodia in March 2008. It held its first meeting on May 22, 2006 and focused on census administration, work plan and appointment of Census Technical Committee (CTC) to advise on technical issues related to the census. The first meeting of the CTC held on May 31, 2006 appointed separate technical sub-committees to advise and monitor important activities like questionnaire preparation, cartography, census publicity, data processing, tabulation, analysis and dissemination. It was also proposed the 1998 Census logo would be continued with suitable changes in the colour scheme. 6.4 The preparations for the census began in April 2006. With technical assistance provided by UNFPA, a work plan has been prepared carefully for the implementation of the pre-census, census and post-census activities. The census questionnaires have already been drafted after preliminary pre-test and in consultation with line Ministries. It is expected to be finalized after consultations with data users and further pre –tests. The preliminary cartographic work using GPS to identify village and Enumeration Area (EA) boundaries is now under way with JICA assistance. 6.5 Gender perspective needs will be considered at all stages of the census particularly at the stage of questionnaire design and formulation. Aspects like female economic activity and work status, child labor especially among girls, social, demographic and economic characteristics of women will be given particular emphasis at all stages of census operations. Employment of female enumerators will also be encouraged. In planning the census full use will be made of the United Nations global and regional recommendations for the organization and conduct of a population census and the analysis, dissemination and utilization of the data. 6.6 The enumeration is proposed to be undertaken during March 2008 for two weeks this is considered to be a period of stability and low level of international and internal mobility, which would allow accurate estimates of population size and distribution. It will also exactly mark a ten-year interval after the first census in 1998.It is proposed continue the canvasser method of census taking in 2008 census also. House-to-house visit will be made by enumerator for enumeration of each individual in every household. For this purpose each household will be identified in all buildings and structures, in every EA. The households will include normal, institutional and homeless households. The de facto method will be adopted for census enumeration.

6.7 The number of usual members present, usual members absent, and visitors present in the household on census night will be collected. Detailed information on social, economic, cultural and demographic characteristics of usual members present and visitors will be recorded in the questionnaire. 6.8 Building and household numbering and listing will precede the enumeration. This operation will take place for four days. For this, a separate form (Form A) will be used. Apart from serving as an inventory for buildings and households in the EA, this form will also furnish useful information on housing characteristics. 6.9 The census enumeration (Form B) will be conducted for two weeks. The homeless population who will be identified the house listing, will be enumerated on the census night itself. Special arrangements will also be made to enumerate the following groups of persons: persons in military barracks, inmates of penal institutions, those in hospitals or other such institutions, those staying in hotels and boarding houses, those living in boats and nomads.

6.10 Intensified Information and communication activities are needed throughout the various phases of the census to create awareness, ensure public cooperation and utilization of data.. Apart from evaluation of various stages of the process, the outcome of the census will be evaluated with regard to

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contents and coverage. This will include a post enumeration survey and in -depth evaluation of the findings. 7. Census Organization 7.1 The census office of the NIS has a core staff of about 27. For the 2008 census separate divisions for administration, accounts, census planning and monitoring, mapping, data processing, and analysis and dissemination have to be strengthened with the available core staff supplemented by qualified staff from other Department of NIS: All the divisions will function under the overall charge of Director General of Census (D.G.). He will be assisted in his task by Deputy Directors of NIS, Director of Census and Bureau Chiefs. UNFPA had provided vehicles, PCs, printers, photocopy machines and others expendable and non-expendable equipment in connection with 1996 Demographic Survey (Project CMB/94/P02) and the 1998 Census (Project CMB/97/P02). There are also other equipment provided by donors like UNDP, UNICEF, ADB, WB, IMF, SIDA and GTZ. Taking into account the available equipment, those which are to be procured for the 2008 Census are included in the census budget proposals. 8.Regional and Field Offices 8.1 The provincial planning offices will turn into provincial census offices with the provincial planning director at the head as provincial census officer (PCO). He/she will be assisted by a Deputy PCO. The PCO will be the nodal census officer in charge of the census operations in the province. The district, commune and village staff will be drafted for census work under his supervision. There will be a provincial census committee with province Governor as Chairperson to guide the PCO. Technical assistance will be provided through NIS staff that will be called Regional Officers and posted at an average rate of four per province. 8.2 The appointments of enumerators and supervisors would be made by the Province Directors in consultation with the Planning and Monitoring Division of the census office at NIS. The la tter will address the Education Ministry in time to obtain the services of teachers for census work. It is expected that 31,707 enumerators (including reserves) and 8,000 supervisors have to be appointed. In some enumeration areas where ethnic groups live, it may be necessary to appoint translators, as the people may not understand Khmer. It is estimated the 250 translators may be required. 8.3 The Regional Officers, The Director and Deputy Director/ Bureau Chief in each of the 24 Provinces, the district statistical officer and the commune chiefs will serve as supervising officers, in that order, in their respective areas. Village chiefs will provide assistance at the village level. There will be overall supervision of the census operations by D.G, Deputy D.G, and Director of Census. They will tour intensely in provinces during the census time. 9. Training of field staff 9.1 The efficiency of field workers and the quality of collected data will heavily depend on the training programmes for various census activities, especially fieldwork. The training program will be carefully planned and structured at four different levels: 1.Training of senior officers of MoP, regional Officers and trainers of trainers at NIS. 2. Training of province planning directors who will be called Province Census Officers (PCOs) and Deputy Planning Directors at NIS.3.Training of Trainers of Field Staff at each Province Census Office..4. Training of Enumerators and Supervisors in selected venues in districts 9.2 For the training programs it is proposed to use electronic media and prepare videotapes. This will ensure uniformity of training, and standardization of concepts and definitions that may result in unified data collection methodology. Support materials for training would include control forms,

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updated maps, questionnaires, and supervisor and enumerator manuals. The training programs and the actual enumeration will be intensely supervised by higher officers. The main activities of the post-enumeration phase will include a post enumeration survey to evaluate the coverage and content errors in the census, data processing, tabulation, preliminary analysis and report writing. Moreover in-depth analysis and evaluation of census finding will be taken up. 10- Data Processing 10-1 The filled in census schedules will be processed centrally at NIS as was done for the 1998 Census. Initially the schedules will be checked with reference to the village data base to ensure that records of all the villages/EAs have been received. After initia l scrutiny a preliminary data entry for producing the preliminary results (population by sex, rural urban and province) will be made. The preliminary results are expected to be released by September 2008. This will be followed by manual editing and coding. Most of the questions will be pre-coded. The most important office coding will be that of industry and occupation according to the respective international code structure, suitably adapted for Cambodia. There will also be computer editing to check completeness, consistency, range check and accuracy. 10.2 Data entry and editing will be undertaken using CS-Pro, IMPS and Visual Basic software. A Tabulation Plan listing more than 50 priority Tables will be prepared beforehand in consultation with line-Ministries and data users. Our staff have already been trained in CENTS programme. However they may need further training to generate computer Tables according to the Tabulation Programme. 11- Analysis and Dissemination 11.1 After the national level and provincial level Tables are ready ( in about a little over a year’s time from the census date),Analytical workshops will be conducted on each topic with expert assistance and participation of national subject matter specialists. A series of analytical reports following a general report are expected to be produced thereafter according to a publication plan. 11.2 Dissemination of census data will be undertaken extensively to cover from national to provincial and district level of administration, researchers and the general data users through dissemination and data utilization workshops, seminars and meetings. Data sheets and simple census reports are also expected to go a long way in making available to the general public, teachers, students and others the useful information on population size and characteristics. 12. External technical and financial assistance 12.1 With the creation of National capacity over the last decade the need for technical assistance will be kept at the minimum. Unlike in the 1998 census no need is foreseen for full time international census and data processing consultants. However provision has been made in the budget for short term missions of external consultants for advice from time to time. 12.2 In the Census Plan, the total budget proposed for the 2008 Census is about six million US dollars. So far, the Ministry of Planning has received some funds and technical assistance from UNFPA. The German Government has expressed interest to provide part of the funding required. JICA has already agreed to provide assistance, technically and financially for cartography and data processing activities. However the existing big funding gap has to be filled in by further donor assistance. It is expected that by census advocacy and resource mobilization this will be accomplished. The Royal Government of Cambodia has also approved the request for counterpart funds from Japanese Government for constructing census building. In the long run, the proposed Statistics Master Plan (SMP) is expected to provide the long-term strategies and financing plan needed for organizing statistical activities. .