Ramos Horta wrote a very good response to an article http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/timor-leste-running-out-money publish in Asianone.com
Facts and falsehoods about Timor-Leste
José Ramos-Horta
https://www.facebook.com/
Once in a while a free-lance reporter drops-in in my country for 2-3 days inspection, talk to local "experts" and proclaim themselves satisfied with their findings and write up pseudo "objective" analysis.
The most recent case was a story that appeared in the Straits Times of Singapore signed by a junior free-lance reporter.
For his opinion piece he quoted an academic from London, a Ms Sarah Dewhurst, who proclaimed:
"Timor Leste is not going to become the next Singapore," said Ms Sarah Dewhurst.
That's quite a profound academic statement. Did anyone in Timor-Leste ever dreamed loud to be another Singapore?
Most probably Ms Dewhurst has not read the much-publicised TL Strategic Development Plan (2011-2030). There's no mention there of our aspiration to be another Singapore. It is modestly hoped that by 2030 Timor-Leste would have become an upper middle income country with an annual per capita of $10,000.00.
Showing off her "expertise" about Timor-Leste the said Ms Dewhurst, a consultant with the UK Foreign Office-funded Overseas Development Institute , added with obvious aplomb:
"They're not strategically located. They don't have the same level of educated populace".
Of course we don't have the same level of education of a Singapore...we are 10 years independent; Singapore is 40 years-old as an independent city-state.
And Ms Dewhurst added: "The climate is hot and arid". I wonder whether the lady has been to Maubisse, Hatubuiliko, Letefoho, Laklubar, etc where average annual temperature is 22 C in day-time and may drop as low as 10 C at night from May to September. And I am sure Ms Dewhurst was not in Dili at the time of her expert comments about TL weather: we have had almost non-stop pouring rain since New Year Eve. As of this writing TL is covered with lush green vegetation.
Ms Dewhurst seems to forget that Timor-Leste is barely 10 years independent. Yet the progress we have made since the 1999 scorch earth violence unleashed by departing Indonesian troops and their armed militia gangs, is simply impressive.
Incidence of Malaria is dramatically down as is child and infant mortality. TL has now more doctors as percentage of the population than most Asian countries, serving in every population center.
An often repeated falsehood is about high unemployment levels. I have seen some writers referring to "60 % unemployment"! This is just plainly an absurdity.
At least 70% of working-age people live off the land as subsistence farmers and supplying almost all the country's needs in fresh vegetable and fruits - and earn a modest regular income.
The civil service, including defence and security personnel, doctors, nurses and teachers number about 30,000.
The private sector (hotels, restaurants, telecommunications, banking, construction companies, large and small) employ close to 10,000 people who earn anything from $150/month to several hundred dollars or thousands a month. We must add to this the many thousands of small vendors in Dili and in other 12 districts.
Travelling around Dili and the districts I have noticed the large number of improved housing of many thousands of people; reliable 24-hr electricity now reaches 70% of the people; many thousands are given solar panels.
These facts, easily observed on the ground, suggest a different story from the one frequentely rehearsed by "experts" - a growing economy with more and more people fully or partially employed.
Hundreds of Timorese are graduating with BA/BSs and MAs/MSc in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea (South), China, Japan, Portugal, Brazil, etc.
But the education sector remains a huge challenge; the last 7 years has not seen much improvement in quality education and nutrition for the rural children.
More efforts are being put in rural development to improve agriculture output; communities access to clean water and improved sanitation.
The challenges remain; while progress is visible since 1999-2000 we could have achieved much more, particularly in the last 7-8 years, if much of the vast sums invested in public infrastructures had not been wasted through mismanagement, incompetence, negligence and corruption.
However, I have faith in the leadership of Dr. Rui Araujo, our new Prime Minister. We will see some results very soon - in stamping out corruption and waste; in improved services delivery in the heath and education sectors for the rural poor.
José Ramos-Horta
Facts and falsehoods about Timor-Leste
José Ramos-Horta
https://www.facebook.com/
Once in a while a free-lance reporter drops-in in my country for 2-3 days inspection, talk to local "experts" and proclaim themselves satisfied with their findings and write up pseudo "objective" analysis.
The most recent case was a story that appeared in the Straits Times of Singapore signed by a junior free-lance reporter.
For his opinion piece he quoted an academic from London, a Ms Sarah Dewhurst, who proclaimed:
"Timor Leste is not going to become the next Singapore," said Ms Sarah Dewhurst.
That's quite a profound academic statement. Did anyone in Timor-Leste ever dreamed loud to be another Singapore?
Most probably Ms Dewhurst has not read the much-publicised TL Strategic Development Plan (2011-2030). There's no mention there of our aspiration to be another Singapore. It is modestly hoped that by 2030 Timor-Leste would have become an upper middle income country with an annual per capita of $10,000.00.
Showing off her "expertise" about Timor-Leste the said Ms Dewhurst, a consultant with the UK Foreign Office-funded Overseas Development Institute , added with obvious aplomb:
"They're not strategically located. They don't have the same level of educated populace".
Of course we don't have the same level of education of a Singapore...we are 10 years independent; Singapore is 40 years-old as an independent city-state.
And Ms Dewhurst added: "The climate is hot and arid". I wonder whether the lady has been to Maubisse, Hatubuiliko, Letefoho, Laklubar, etc where average annual temperature is 22 C in day-time and may drop as low as 10 C at night from May to September. And I am sure Ms Dewhurst was not in Dili at the time of her expert comments about TL weather: we have had almost non-stop pouring rain since New Year Eve. As of this writing TL is covered with lush green vegetation.
Ms Dewhurst seems to forget that Timor-Leste is barely 10 years independent. Yet the progress we have made since the 1999 scorch earth violence unleashed by departing Indonesian troops and their armed militia gangs, is simply impressive.
Incidence of Malaria is dramatically down as is child and infant mortality. TL has now more doctors as percentage of the population than most Asian countries, serving in every population center.
An often repeated falsehood is about high unemployment levels. I have seen some writers referring to "60 % unemployment"! This is just plainly an absurdity.
At least 70% of working-age people live off the land as subsistence farmers and supplying almost all the country's needs in fresh vegetable and fruits - and earn a modest regular income.
The civil service, including defence and security personnel, doctors, nurses and teachers number about 30,000.
The private sector (hotels, restaurants, telecommunications, banking, construction companies, large and small) employ close to 10,000 people who earn anything from $150/month to several hundred dollars or thousands a month. We must add to this the many thousands of small vendors in Dili and in other 12 districts.
Travelling around Dili and the districts I have noticed the large number of improved housing of many thousands of people; reliable 24-hr electricity now reaches 70% of the people; many thousands are given solar panels.
These facts, easily observed on the ground, suggest a different story from the one frequentely rehearsed by "experts" - a growing economy with more and more people fully or partially employed.
Hundreds of Timorese are graduating with BA/BSs and MAs/MSc in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea (South), China, Japan, Portugal, Brazil, etc.
But the education sector remains a huge challenge; the last 7 years has not seen much improvement in quality education and nutrition for the rural children.
More efforts are being put in rural development to improve agriculture output; communities access to clean water and improved sanitation.
The challenges remain; while progress is visible since 1999-2000 we could have achieved much more, particularly in the last 7-8 years, if much of the vast sums invested in public infrastructures had not been wasted through mismanagement, incompetence, negligence and corruption.
However, I have faith in the leadership of Dr. Rui Araujo, our new Prime Minister. We will see some results very soon - in stamping out corruption and waste; in improved services delivery in the heath and education sectors for the rural poor.
José Ramos-Horta
