The census continues with the help of assistants

From Monday, that is, from May 3 to June 13, the census will continue in Slovakia with the help of assistants, which will be carried out by the municipalities in conjunction with the Slovak Statistical Office. People who for some reason did not do so in the previous period may also participate in this phase of the enumeration.

However, the help of enumeration commissioners can be expected mainly by those people who did not have the opportunity to fill out the count form due to lack of internet access or digital knowledge. All this mainly affects the elderly who do not have access to the Internet, the settlements are mostly populated by Roma, and the homeless, but those who forgot the census in the previous period can also participate.

However, residency in Slovakia remains a valid condition, and it can be permanent, temporary and tolerated. Supported censuses are also available to citizens of EU member states generally residing in our country.

The assistant is defined as the person who has been appointed for this purpose by each municipality, which also provides, together with the Slovak Statistical Office, information about the whereabouts of the places designated for this purpose. According to census spokesperson Yasmina Stauder, the time for reception of clients is determined by the municipalities based on the needs of the residents.

All settlements inform residents of this matter through postings sent to mailboxes, posted posters, or by the broadcaster, but we can also learn more about these places on scitanie.sk. Their visit does not need to be announced in advance, and even the jurisdiction of the place of permanent residence must not be respected, so those interested can use the assistance closest to them.

So, if you’re at the weekend home right away, feel free to visit your nearest place, and they won’t even find out why you haven’t come for the census yet.

At these locations, census commissioners receive clients who help complete the census form or allow the person concerned to complete it themselves. In both cases, the customer can verify the correctness of the entered data and, if necessary, correct and amend it. However, when uploading the form to the system, it is worth asking for proof of participation in the census.

Regarding concerns about data misuse, the spokesperson said this cannot happen because all of the assistants working with the data have adequate data protection training and should be impeccable.

While filling in the data, you can just ask for the birth number and look at the back of the ID.

The same applies to home helpers who visit people in their homes on request. Violation of data protection obligations will result in a fine of € 1,500.

However, the statistic can also inspire scammers who are constantly alerted by the police. However, fraudsters can be easily detected, as real assistants can only visit people in their homes after requesting the customer service phone number provided on scitanie.sk or the telephone number of the municipality or city office.

“It is important to know that no one can appear uninvited under the pretext of conducting a census without prior consultation,” Stauder warns. Also, assistants do not use printed questionnaires, as the entire enumeration process is done electronically.

We can also verify the assistant’s identity on the basis of his ID card, which he will present upon arrival along with the assistant’s ID and registration number. In case of doubt, it is worth contacting the municipal office or the customer center of the Slovak Statistical Office. However, this can be avoided with some foresight. The speaker suggests: “We recommend that stakeholders ask for their name and the assistant’s registration number the first time they contact the assistant over the phone.”

However, if a person appears to us that we have not contacted, we will not allow him to enter our apartment under any circumstances, and we must notify the police on the number 158, and it is worth bringing to the attention of officials of the municipality or city office of such attempts of abuse. This is because fraudsters can try to take advantage of the census to enter the home of selected victims under the pretext of this and rob them, and sometimes even take their documents with them so that they can be misused in the future.

(NZS / Felvidék.ma / Webnoviny.sk)