Different from previous years, Sunday night, 31 July, the opening ceremony of the XXII AESabesp - Fenasan 2011 Technical Meeting was held in the White Pavilion of Expo Center Norte in São Paulo, attended by several exhibitors from the environmental sanitation sector, managers from the civil service and several entrepreneurial groups.

The opening table consisted of Edson Giriboni, secretary of Sanitation and Watersheds of the state of São Paulo, in this act representing the governor of the state of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin; Dilma Seli Pena, president of Sabesp; Vicente Andreu Guillo, CEO of ANA (National Water Agency), representing the minister for the environment, Isabela Teixeira; José Tadeu da Silva, president of CREA-SP and Valdir Folgosi, president of Sindesan - Abimaq.

 

The opening table consisted of Edson Giriboni, secretary of Sanitation and Watersheds of the state of São Paulo, in this act representing the governor of the state of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin; Dilma Seli Pena, president of Sabesp; Vicente Andreu Guillo, CEO of ANA (National Water Agency), representing the minister for the environment, Isabela Teixeira; José Tadeu da Silva, president of CREA-SP and Valdir Folgosi, president of Sindesan - Abimaq.

The president of AESabesp (the Association of Sabesp Engineers), the promoter of the event, Hiroshi Ietsugu, initiated the opening ceremony by highlighting the commitment of this entity with technology and sustainability, by means of initiatives directed at the sanitation sector, one of the pillars of society, which has a direct impact on the quality of life of the population and the preservation of the environment. He made reference to the necessity for expanding the sector in order to service the infrastructure for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, which are to be held in the country, as well as its long-term growth necessities.

The president of Sabesp, Dilma Pena, alluded to the necessity for creating a national sanitation plan, based on an industrial policy that excludes the sector from the high rate of taxes charged by the state, as the sector follows the latter's regulatory standards, which supplies subsidies for its expansion. He also indicated the growth of sanitation in São Paulo, considering that, since 1995, there has been a change of management, which has leveraged the rates of approval of the company and that the the AESabesp Technical Meeting and Fenasan are the embodiment of the commitment of the technical staff of Sabesp to the government targets. Then the Chief Executive Officer of ANA and representative of the Ministry of the Environment, Andreu Guillo, emphasized that the current moment requires "more management and investments in this infrastructure sector that is so fundamental for the development of the country".

The secretary, Edson Giriboni, greeted all the professionals of the sector that were present and emphasized the importance of Brazilian engineering and sanitation in the development of the current scenario in the country, endorsing the words spoken by the president of CREA-SP, José Tadeu da Silva, who exalted the profession by alleging that "in order to construct the world, God needs engineers".

After the opening ceremony, everybody was invited to the opening cocktail party, sponsored by AESabesp.