KUWAIT: The Ministry of Planning's Central Statistical Office (CSO) issued a statement yesterday announcing that the period in which residents can submit their e-census forms is to be extended to April 11, due to the large number of online forms received from nationals and expatriate residents.

In a statement released to the press, the deputy of the Kuwait Census Operation Mona Al-Daas announced that the CSO's site at www.kuwaitcensus.com has so far received 148,513 individual forms online, with 19,954 families registered on the site's records to date. "This forms about 5.2 percent of Kuwait's population of three million," she said, adding, "We're expecting this figure to increase by the end of April 11.

The rate of applications on the website, somewhere between five and 10 percent of the total, is satisfactory according to international standards, Al-Daas noted. She added, "We invite all nationals and residents to use the website to register themselves and their family members. Not only is it easy to use, but it will also save them and us a lot of time and effort.

The Kuwait Census website offers data in many languages about the census, as well as information and news about the census operation. At the top of the site's menu bar, a button marked 'E-Census' directs users to a page providing simple guidelines for registering online. Registering online from now until April 21 only requires users to fill in a simple pre-prepared form, with details including the registrant's name, phone number, address and civil ID number, as well as whether they are registering for a family or only for themselves. After this simple online registration process, a detailed form is sent to the registrant that includes requests for more detailed information.

Al-Daas explained that the online registration system was launched on March 21, with the census itself set to take place between April 21 and May 31. Those who registered online will receive an email with a link redirecting them to a detailed form, on which they should enter their personal details and those of all family members living in their home, including domestic staff. Registrants can do this between April 21 and May 5. Those who haven't registered online will be visited by census takers in the even
ing, between April 21 and May 31. "We ask all citizens to cooperate with the census takers. The duration of the visits will be very short, but it will help plan a better future for Kuwait," said Al-Daas. - Kuwait Times