The Fiji Bureau of Statistics will be raising awareness on the 2019-2020 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIEs) to households that will be part of the study.

Household Survey Unit Assistant Statistician, Simeli Drodroveivali says 6000 households from all four divisions will be involved in the one year survey.

Drodroveivali says it’s important that Fijians know the importance of the study and are able to identify the enumerators.

He says Fijians have the right to ask for the enumerator’s ID card or even call the bureau for any clarifications.

They will be wearing the official ID from Fiji Bureau of Statistics with their photo and it will be signed by the Deputy Government Statistician so that’s how they will identify the enumerator.

Chief Statistician Mitieli Cama says enumerators will also have a letter from Police stating their roles as enumerators.

HIEs is the main source of data that measures poverty.

Data collected will help the government to formulate evidence-based socio-economic policies for the betterment of all Fijians.

Enumerators will be out on the field in two weeks’ time and awareness on the study will begin on Monday, the 4th of February.