Grand Cayman (GIS) – With their animated rendition of the Census 2021 jingle, George Town Primary School students helped launch Census 2021 in Grand Cayman today, Wednesday, 26 May 2021, at the Marriott Resort.

The jingle’s message urging all to be counted set the tone. Speakers, led by His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper, as the Census Patron, called for the public’s 100 percent participation in Census 2021.

Speakers emphasised the vital link between the national count’s data gathering and government’s as well as the private sector’s provision of services. 

 

The main messages were:

• Without information, informed decisions are not possible.
• The very future of the Cayman Islands depends on the gathering of accurate data.
• The Census will not reveal personal information.
• Participate and answer all questions when the census enumerator visits on all three islands, starting 10 October 2021.

Speakers included Financial Secretary and Chief Officer, Mr. Kenneth Jefferson, who welcomed the gathering; Premier, Hon. Wayne Panton; Deputy Premier and Finance Minister, Hon. Christopher Saunders; Miss Teen Cayman Islands, Miss Jada Bodden; reigning Young Caymanian Leadership awardee Ms Staci Scott and Senior Assistant Financial Secretary, Mr. Michael Nixon, who presented closing remarks.

Pastor Alson Ebanks led the gathering in opening prayer and George Town Primary School (GTPS) students led in singing the National Anthem and the National Song. Radio Cayman Talk Today’s Mr. Sterling Dwayne Ebanks was Master of Ceremonies.

The launch included a short video featuring 106-year-old Mr. Wellesley Howell to represent the population over the years. Mr. Howell noted he has participated in six local censuses.

House Speaker, Hon. McKeeva Bush; Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson; Ministers Hon. Bernie Bush, Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Hon. Juliana O’Connor Connolly and Hon. Sabrina Turner; Parliamentary Secretaries Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks (also Deputy Speaker) and Ms Heather Bodden attended the launch. Chief Officers, other senior civil service personnel and members of the public also participated in the event.

After the ceremony, the ESO began signing up potential census workers from Grand Cayman to participate in the actual count. Hiring and training for some 500 enumerators starts in June.

Following census taking over two months starting in October 2021, a preliminary census report featuring highlights such as total population is scheduled to be out in first quarter 2022. The final report is scheduled for later that year.