The 2020 Population Census counts - and counts a lot! - for mayors in the entire country. It is the only survey that visits all the households in the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities. By precisely bringing the number of inhabitants in each one of them, it is key to define a series of financial fundings to municipal administrations. And not only in 2020, but for the next ten years.

In addition, it brings unique municipal information on subjects like sanitation, education, labor and income, demographic composition and household surroundings, among a lot of others that form the basis to develop, implement and assess public policies aiming at the development of cities and the increase in the welfare and quality of life of the population.

For these reasons, city administrations should actively participate in the census operation, following up and supporting the IBGE since the preparation up to the conclusion of the data collection, mostly through the Census Planning and Follow Up Meetings (REPACs) in each municipality.

This was the message taken by the representatives of the IBGE´s State Unit of Bahia (UE-BA) to the nearly 1,000 representatives of the slightly more than 300 city administrations in Bahia (of a total of 417 in the state), who participated in the 7th Meeting of Mayors of the UPB (Union of Municipalities of Bahia).

Held between September 13 and 15 in Camaçari, in the metropolitan area of Salvador, the event included an IBGE booth and, most importantly, a round table on the Census, which gathered nearly 100 person on Sunday (15) morning.

The presentation was carried out by Francisco Jorge Brito, coordinator of Census Operation in Bahia, and by Mariana Viveiros, supervisor of Information Dissemination (SDI-BA).

In addition, the local team counted with Luís Alberto Pacheco,  coordinator of the REPACs in the state, Leonardo Afonso, coordinator of the Territorial Base, André Urpia, manager of Planning and Management in the UE, Rafael Floriano, area assistant in Salvador, and Gabriel Ferreira, of the SDI-BA team.

Unique opportunity

According to Artur Ferreira Filho, head of the UE-BA, who was in the event, the participation of the UE-BA in the 7th Meeting of Mayors was a unique opportunity to “inoculate the virus of the Census in the mayors” and to favor the engagement of the municipalities through the REPACs.

“The municipalities are among those most interested in a world-class Census, with technical precision and complete coverage of the territory. I am absolutely sure that they will support us on this,” stated Ferreira Filho.

“The municipal power is the instance that mostly know the municipalities. Beyond participation, we need your support,” completed Brito.

Present in the round table as a panelist, Jutaí Eudes Ribeiro Ferreira, mayor of São Félix do Coribe, summarized: “[The Census] is one of the most important subjects debated here, because it brings resources to our municipalities.”

Face-to-face

At the IBGE booth, built around a number of state and federal institutions, the annual estimates of population were the subject mostly accessed by the municipalities, as expected. 

The mayor of Maetinga, Edcarlos Lima Oliveira (PT), was one of those attended. He was not very happy. Maetinga is the smallest municipality in Bahia in terms of population, with only 3,160 inhabitants according to the 2019 estimate, and Oliveira disputes the data.

He told that, beyond the bad reputation of the municipality that “scares away people”, it has lost important resources in the health area as a result of the underestimation of the population, in his assessment.   

The data of Maetinga and its population history were presented to the mayor, as well as the methodology of the estimates and its limitations. After talking for half an hour, he left happy, believing that this dilemma will be solved in 2020, when everybody will be effectively counted and “justice will be made” to the city.