Opposition slams the Gov't over separate census targeting persons with disabilities, citing poor planning

The Opposition People's National Party says the Government's "failure" to integrate a census targeting persons with disabilities into the ongoing national population census "underscores yet another bungled priority by the Andrew Holness administration".

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr announced the census targeting persons with disabilities during his contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last week Tuesday.

Opposition Spokesperson on Finance, Julian Robinson, says while the census is a welcome step toward inclusive governance, by siloing the disability census, the government risks fragmenting vital data, delaying targeted interventions, and perpetuating systemic gaps in service delivery for vulnerable communities.

"A standalone disability census is not inherently flawed, but its separation from the broader national exercise reflects poor planning and wasted resources. This administration’s chronic inability to execute the national census on schedule has already hampered Jamaica’s development agenda. Now, they compound the problem by pursuing piecemeal solutions instead of holistic, efficient data collection," he said in a statement to the media on Sunday.

He noted that the national census, originally slated for 2021, has faced repeated delays, most recently pushed to 2025, despite its irreplaceable role in gathering comprehensive data on population size, distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics.

This information is the bedrock of effective policy-making, equitable resource allocation, and strategic infrastructure development, he added.

“Accurate, integrated data is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Every month of delay erodes our ability to craft evidence-based policies. The government’s haphazard approach betrays a lack of urgency in serving all Jamaicans, especially those most in need,” he argued.

Robinson urged the administration to expedite the national census, incorporate disability metrics seamlessly, and "cease its pattern of mismanagement".

"Jamaica deserves competence, not continued chaos," he added.

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.