This Tuesday (2), the Florianópolis City Council held a tribute to the 90 years of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) during an expanded meeting, held by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the Florianópolis City Council, to present education data and indicators relating to the city and the State of Santa Catarina.

The meeting met the request of councilor Pastor Giliard Torquato (PL) and was attended by the State Superintendent of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in Santa Catarina, Roberto Kern Gomes, as well as IBGE officials, local authorities and guests.

The tribute took place within the scope of the seminar My Partner, My Brazil, My IBGE. The president of the IBGE, Marcio Pochmann, said: “The tribute paid by the Florianópolis City Council to the 90th anniversary of the IBGE reaffirms the public recognition of an institution that has been transforming information into knowledge for nine decades, contributing decisively to planning, democracy and development in Brazil. A celebration that honors the past and strengthens confidence in the future.”

During the ceremony, the superintendent of the IBGE in Santa Catarina, Roberto Kern Gomes, highlighted the importance of the partnership between the Institute and the municipal legislative power over the last few decades. According to him, the recognition reinforces the Institute's role in producing essential information for Brazil. “I want to thank the City Council, which is a partner of the IBGE and helped in this journey. It is with a deep sense of pride that we see the Institute approaching its centenary as one of the most respected institutions in Brazil. The IBGE’s mission goes beyond tables, data and numbers,” stated him.

In his speech, Kern also highlighted the role of statistical surveys as a way of portraying the transformations in society. He compared the population data to an updated photograph of the municipalities. “If we look at an old image, we will realize how much we have changed. The same thing happens with data: we present a more recent portrait, with more colors and definition, in which the population can recognize themselves,” explained him.

The superintendent also highlighted that the information produced by the IBGE is fundamental to understanding the country's social reality. “IBGE shows who we are, how many we are and where we live. It is reliable data that allows us to see reality. Without this technical, scientific and impartial work, the government would make decisions blindly,” told him. He reinforced that official statistics are essential to guide public policies and government actions in municipalities and states.

Author of the tribute, councilor Giliard Torquato also highlighted the relevance of the Institute for public management. During his speech, he took the opportunity to congratulate the IBGE for the work carried out and mentioned the recent presentation of data from the National Survey of School Health (PeNSE) at the Chamber's Education Committee, highlighting the importance of this information to support debates and decisions at the municipal level.

Tributes in other states

In addition to Santa Catarina, the IBGE has already been honored in the legislative assemblies of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraná, Pará and Sergipe. The celebrations are part of the national agenda of events commemorating the Institution's 90th anniversary, which will take place over the next few months. The complete program for the IBGE's 90th anniversary can be seen on the commemorative portal: IBGE 90 years.