Praia, July 31, 2026 (Lusa) - The Cabo Verdean prime minister on Friday announced an independent review of the country's national statistics office (INE)) to investigate alleged interference and data manipulation, and to restore the credibility of official information, after accusing the body of producing falsified reports.
«The country has been taken by surprise by serious allegations regarding the functioning of INE, relating to alleged interference and manipulation of data. And it is precisely this that leads this Government never to make hasty judgements, but to analyse matters seriously and thoroughly so that we can act in the best possible way,» said Francisco Carvalho during the State of the Nation debate.
«The duty we have taken on is a different one: we are ensuring an independent assessment in order to protect INE staff and properly establish the facts,» he added.
He argued that it was «urgent» to restore Cabo Verdeans' confidence in the country's official statistics.
«Public data does not belong to any government, but to all citizens,» he stated.
Carvalho also stated that national statistics «cannot be used as a tool for propaganda», but rather as a basis for decision-making, arguing that they must «accurately reflect people's lives, even when that reality is uncomfortable for the Government».
He also announced that the government will publish regular public reports, enforce the law on access to information, create a national portal for public documents and implement an open data policy.
«A government must take responsibility and be accountable to the country, not only when it has good news, but also when it faces difficulties,» he said.
These statements come after Carvalho accused, on Thursday in parliament, the National Statistics Institute (INE) of producing «falsified data» and the previous Movement for Democracy (MpD) government of «deceiving» the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the state of public finances.
«We have all seen that the INE itself has been producing falsified data; this has been admitted by the staff themselves,» he noted.
In June, the chair of INE's board, João Cardoso, rejected allegations of manipulation, falsification or concealment of data, stating that the institution had set legal procedures in motion to investigate the origin of anonymous letters containing serious accusations that had circulated on the agency's digital platforms.
During a press conference, Cardoso emphasised INE's autonomy, stating that the institution «does not belong to a government, a political party or an individual», but «to the State of Cabo Verde and serves the whole of society».
He also maintained that the production of indicators on poverty, employment, inflation and economic growth follows international scientific standards.
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