Focusing on the dress rehearsal of the Census in the neighborhood of Amaralina, in Salvador, but also aiming at the future operation in 2022, the head of the IBGE State Unit of Bahia (UE-BA), Artur Ferreira Filho, the manager of Planning and Management, André Urpia, and the operational coordinator in the state, Francisco Brito, gathered with municipal secretaries of Salvador along the last two weeks.

The purpose was to develop immediate logistic support and officially resume the partnership with a number of instances of the city administration, key to the accomplishment of the Census in Salvador, the fourth largest Brazilian city.

On October 6, the meeting was with Fabrizzio Muller, head of the Secretariat of Mobility (SEMOB) and Pablo Souza, director of Transportation Planning in the secretariat. Located in one of the main streets of Amaralina, SEMOB should headquarter the data collection station for the dress rehearsal in that neighborhood.

During the meeting, Muller highlighted the importance of the Census data to the organization of the municipal administration, stating that the partnership with the UE-BA for the use of that space would not be a mere cession, but rather an investment.

“Everything happens in the municipality.” The sentence, extensively repeated by managers from all around, was also used by Luiz Antônio Carreira, secretary of the Civil House, to certify the importance of the Population Census.

After all, as he recalled, the Census is the only survey that “views” all the people and make them visible, in all the Brazilian municipalities, producing information about key subjects for the planning and financial health of the city administrations for the next ten years.

In a meeting on October 14 with Ferreira Filho, Urpia and Brito, Carreira not only reinforced the effort to guarantee the data collection station for the dress rehearsal in Amaralina, but also made clear that the UE-BA can count with the City Hall of Salvador for the Census next year.

“Now, more than ever, still suffering from the effects of the pandemic, we need current and detailed data to help us deal with the challenges that we will face in the areas of education, health, public transportation, generation of formal jobs and income,” stated him.