Pe. Guido Pereira Pr - Ema espesial, husi povo espesial, ba povo espesial

Pe. Guido Pereira Pr

Ema espesial, husi povo espesial, ba povo espesial

*Cosme da Costa Araujo

Loron 31 Maio 2016, loron ida espesial ba ema ida espesial husi povo ida espesial no ba povo ida espesial. Iha loron ida ne’ebá, Pe. Guido Pereira Pr, husi Suco Beremana, Posto Administrativo Turiscai, Parokia Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Turiscai, simu sacramento ordem, hodi sai nai-lulik, husi Exmo. Rev. Dom Virgílio da Silva SDB.

Loron ida ne’ebá, laos loron ida be’e bain-bain. Loron ida ne’ebé espesial duni, tamba pela primeira vez, iha istoria rai doben ida ne’e nian, Turiscai oan ida sai duni ona nai-lulik, hafoin tinan atus ba atus, Turiscai oan barak hahú husi Avo Francisco Xavier do Amaral, Paulo Pires, no sira seluk tan ne’ebé hakarak lo’os atu lao tuir dalan nai-lulik, maibé lao la to’o nia rohan ba.

Tuir istoria sira ne’ebé beila sira haktuir, katak iha tinan hirak liu ba, iha tempu rai-diak, dom ka liurai balun iha rai Turiscai halo fukun ruma hasoru manu-ain uma-kreda nian. Sira halo fukun ida hasoru nai-lulik misionáriu sira. Beiala sira, iha tempu ne’ebá, la fo netik fatin ruma ba nai-lulik misionáriu sira hodi harii uma-kreda. Ruina husi konstrusaun kapela ida ne’ebé seidauk remata to’o agora sei iha nafatin iha rai Bilimanu, suku Liurai, Turiscai, sai testemuña ba ida ne’e. Tan ida ne’e, nai-lulik misionáriu sira, iha tempu ne’ebá kedan fo maldisaun ba Turiscai nia oan sira. Katak husi jerasaun ba jerasaun, Turiscai nia oan no bei-oan sira sei laiha ida maka sai nai-lulik. Tinan atus ba atus ona, maldisaun ida ne’e prevalese duni.

Iha tempu ukun-an ida ne’e, Turiscai oan sira tu’ur hamutuk, hanoin no desidi katak tempu to’o ona atu halo’os tiha fukun ida ne’e. Sira hahú uluk rekoiñese fukun ne’ebé sira nia beiala sira halo, hafoin sira tuku-tur hodi monu ain fali ba uma-kreda, liu husi ninia representante Exmo. Rev. Dom Basílio do Nacimento Pr.

Ikus mai Maromak Ida be’e Laran Luak hatudu Nia laran luak duni. Ordenasaun nai-lulik Pe. Guido Pereira Pr sai hanesan prova konkreta ida Maromak Nia laran luak ba Nia emar sira. Maromak perdua nia oan sira, sira be’e lao dalan sala, no rona duni Nia oan sira ne’e nia harohan.

Iha istoria Timor-Leste nian, rai ida ne’e, maske estrada a’at no hela iha klean ida laran, maibé espesial, tamba nia fo mos kontribuisaun ida bo’ot ba nasaun ida ne’e. Iha tempu ida defisil, rai ida ne’e nia oan mane ida – Francisco Xavier do Amaral, o proclamador e o primeiro Presidente da República Democrática de Timor-Leste – lori naroman mai Timor-Leste ida nakukun no fo nia a’an tomak hodi serví nasaun ida ne’e ho nia emar sira. Iha tempu ukun-an, rai ida ne’e dala ida tan oferese nia oan mane ida – Pe. Guido Pereira Pr – ba misaun ida bo’ot liu tan – hodi serví Maromak liu husi serví nia emar sira iha mundu rai-klaran ida ne’e, prinsipalmente iha Timor-Leste, espesialmente iha Turiscai.

Pe. Guido Pereira Pr, ema ida espesial husi família ida espesial. Sira fo buat tomak sira iha – sira nia oan mane bo’ot rasik ida ba Maromak. Hanesan Abrão fo nia oan mane mesak Isac ba Maromak. Nune’e mos familia ida ne’e. Maromak rona no simu liu oferta husi ema sira ne’ebé fo husi saida maka sira laiha, laos saida maka sira iha liu. Ida ne’e maka domin bo’ot liu no lolo’os ne’ebé aman inan no familia sira Pe. Guido Pereira Pr nian oferese ba Maromak. Sira hatene katak sira nia oan mane bo’ot ida ne’e sei la selu fali sira nia kolen hotu ne’ebé sira fo ba nia husi ki’ik to’o bo’ot to’o sai nai-lulik. Maibé sira hatene lolós katak Maromak sei fo ba sira buat tomak em abundáncia, bo’ot no barak liu buat hotu-hotu sira halo ona ba sira nia oan mane bo’ot. Iha Maromak nia futar oin sira laos ona família ida simples, maibé familia ida espesial nakonu riku no soin tomak lalehan nian.

Maromak laran luak hodi rona duni nia oan sira nia harohan hodi fihir husi sarani povo espesial Turiscai nia emar ida tan – Pe. Guido Pereira Pr – hodi sai hanesan nia manu-ain, hanesan mos nai-lulik misionáriu sira uluk, hodi haklaken Nia liafuan-diak ba mundu rai-klaran, liu-liu nia emar rasik – sarani povo Timor-Leste, prinsipalmente Turiscai. Pe. Guido Pereira Pr ema ida espesial. Ema ida simples, lafoti-an, komik-ten, animador, no hamnasa-dor. Ema ida espesial duni ba dalan espesial ida ne’e.

Ho ordenasaun sai nai-lulik nia hetan poder bo’ot husi Maromak ne’ebé mai mos ho responsabilidade ida be’e bo’ot. Misaun hodi salva ema nia klamar bo’ot no todan liu misaun mundu nian sira seluk. Maibé fiar metin katak Maromak sei la husik nia atan sira lao mesak. Nune’e mos povo sarani Turiscai sei la husik nia ema nai-lulik ida ne’e lao mesak-mesak.

Ho grasa bo’ot ne’ebé sarani povo espesial Turiscai hetan liu husi ema espesial ida ne’e – Pe. Guido Pereira Pr – ne’ebé Maromak fihir mai husi família ida  espesial husi povo sarani ida espesial bele loke dalan luan liu tan atu Maromak Nia laran luak ne’e hadaet mos ba Turiscai oan espesial sira seluk atu sira banati tuir nia ain-fatin hodi sai Maromak nia manu-ain hodi serví liu tan Nia liu husi nia emar sira iha mundu-rai klaran ida ne’e.

Profisiat Pe. Guido Pereira Pr. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam.

Nasionalizmu Foun Iha Prosesu Dezenvolvimentu Nasional

Nasionalizmu Foun Iha Prosesu Dezenvolvimentu Nasional

*Cosme da Costa Aráujo

Mehi ba ukun-rasik-an laos buat ida fasil. Realista sira iha tempu ne’ebá hateten Timor-Leste mehi mehi ida imposível – mimpi disiang bolong. Maibé, hanesan ita nia Prezidente Nicolau Lobato rasik ho fiar-an dehan “a nossa vitória é certa”, ikus mai liu husi funu ida naruk entre Davíd vs Goliat, Timor-Leste nia mehi imposível ida ne’e sai duni realidade ida laos imposível ona. Istoria hamutuk no hatudu mai ita katak hamutuk ita bele alkansa buat ne’ebé imposível. Biar hasoru susar, terus no mate oin-oin, ita kaer metin nafatin ba espíritu nasionalizmu maubere nian hodi hakilar no moris tuir liafuan “mate ka moris ukun-rasik-an”. Ita bele halo buat sira imposível ne’e, tamba deit “ita hadomi ita nia rai” – nasionalizmu. Ho ida ne’e maka nasionalista sira iha ai-laran, vila-laran no rai-liur la lakon esperansa hodi kontinua funu tuir sira idak-idak nia dalan no kbi’it. Ho ida ne’e mos nasionalista sira barak la monu ba tentasaun sira hanesan “kareta, uma, rupiah, sigaru gudang-garam no supermi”. Ho nasionalizmu ida forte,  ita rezisti para manan –  “resistir é vencer”, hanesan maun Bo’ot Xanana rasik dehan iha tempu ne’ebá. 

Hafoin funu ba “libertar a pátria” remata,  ita kontinua ho funu foun ida seluk “libertar o povo” ba Timor-Leste ida “forte, prósperu no seguru”. Maibé hanesan ita nia Prezidente Taur Matan Ruak rasik hateten “funu ida uluk fasil liu duké funu ida agora”. Funu ida agora – funu ba dezenvolvimentu nasional – laos ona funu ida fasil tamba ninia sirkumtánsia la hanesan, liu-liu tamba ita funu hasoru inimigu foun – ita nia-an rasik. Timor-Leste konsege “halo buat barak iha tempu badak nia laran” – dehan Presidente TMR. Ita iha paz no estabilidade, kresimentu ekonómiku ida bo’ot, meloramentu iha bem-estar, servisu saúde, asesu ba edukasaun, ahi moris permanente, dezenvolvimentu infraestrutura bázika, transferénsia sosial ne’ebé fó benefísiu direita povu ki’ik no kiak sira. Ita bele halo diak liu tan, sé karik iha tinan 15 nia laran ita fó laran no sakrifísiu tomak ho espirítu nasionalizmu ne’ebé uluk ita kaer metin ba ba iha prosesu foun dezenvolvimentu nasional ida ne’e. Infelizmente, nasionalizmu ida ne’e hahú mihis daun-daun ona.

Maibe ispiritu nasionalismu no sakrifísu ne’ebé ita halo durante luta ba ukun-rasik-an lakon daun-daun ona. Hanesan maun Xanana dehan ita agora “buka diak deit”, “ijiji uluk ita nia direitu, duké halo ita nia dever”. Tan ne’e, buat hotu-hotu ne’ebé ita halo ohin loron, ita hanoin uluk ita nia-an no ita nia familia. Wainhira ita kaer ukun, ita laos sai servidór ba estadu no povu, ne’ebé ita promete atu serví, maibé ita serví uluk ita nia-an, ita nia familia no amigu sira. Ita fó projeitu ba ita nia familia no amigu sira. Wainhira ita kaer ukun, ita hanoin uluk maka pensaun vitalísia. Ita kaer ukun buka haksubar-an husi transparánsia liu husi rejime espesial oin-oin. Ita uza partidu hanesan kurtina deit, manipuladu husi grupu elit burguoise balun ne’ebé iha osan, lori povu nia naran futu lia ba serve sira nia interese. Partidu polítiku laos dalan atu serví povu, maibe dalan ba poder no osan. Funu-nain balun ba libertasaun rai ida ne’e transforma fali tiha ona ba funu-nain aristokrasia. Sira merese duni atu hetan buat diak sira ne’e, maibé sira sei iha responsabilidade nafatin hodi kontinua luta ida ne’e to’o nia rohan, luta ba ukun-an ida kompleta – ba povu nia moris diak.

Wainhira ita halo lei ita haré uluk lei sira la soke ho ita nia interese.  Ita veta lei ba rai ne’ebé hateten ema ne’ebé faan rai tempu uluk laiha ona direitu no sira ne’ebé arenda rai iha tempu uluk laos nain ba rai. Nune’e uluk ita faan tiha ona rai, agora ita faan tan. Wainhira ita fó projeitu, ita ijiji uluk persen, uang-rokok, uang-pelicing. Ita apreveita ita nia koneksaun, ita nia naran, no ita nia luta hodi hais buat ruma husi estadu. Ita hanaran-an emprezáriu maibé ita sai broker ba ema seluk. Ita so manan naran deit, maibe ema seluk manan osan. Ita hela ho naran dólar, maibe dólar dolar ba ema seluk nian bolsu no rai seluk. Ita halo projeitu ulun-tun ain-sae, tamba wainhira ita manan projeitu, ita hanoin uluk tiha ona sosa kareta Hammer no hola feto ki’ik. Ita halo servisu estadu nian ita rekere uluk fasilidade hanesan kareta, motor, per diem, osan pulsa, osan han no overtime. Ita tama servisu tarde no sai sedu. Tan deit osan dólar, ita faan tiha ita nia nasaun ba nasaun seluk no kompañia internasional sira.

Ita uza instrumentu nasaun nian hanesan F-FDTL no Polisia ho halo abuzu ba ema sivil, hodi proteje familia no kolega. Ita halo instalasaun ilegal ba eletresidade no bé, no halo estragus ba propriedade públika hanesan ké estrada kuak, taka dalan, soe foer arbiru, sobu obras públika sira ne’ebé estadu fornese. Wainhira ita eskola bo’ot ona, ita ejiji saláriu bo’ot tamba ita sente ita merese liu. Ita valoriza liu ema seluk, duke ita-an emar rasi tamba deit kor diferente. Ita moe ho ita nia kultura, ita nia knananuk, maibe ita orgulu liu ho ema seluk nian. Nune’e tinan-tinan ita komera heroi sira nia mate, ita konvida kantor/a Indonesia mai haksolok ita. Ita estraga ema seluk nia futuru liu husi loke eskola seim asegura kualidade. Ita husik lutu nasaun nia naksobu hodi fasilita ema no sasán tama mai ita rai-laran ilegalmente. Ki’ik no kiak la hetan justisa, maibe bo’ot no riku evita justisa tamba sira iha osan, familia, koneksaun, partidu no kor. Iha buat barak seluk tan ne’ebé hau labele temin hotu iha ne’e. Buat sira ne’e hotu mosu tan deit espíritu nasionalizmu – hadomi ita nia nasaun, ne’ebé uluk ita kaer metin ba komesa mihis daun-daun ona.

Kolonializmu no okupasaun tuan bele lakon, maibé kolonizmu no okupasaun foun mosu mai naban-naban haksumik-an iha forma oin-oin. Ukun-an ida ne’e seidauk kompleta ka atinji ninia totalidade, enkuantu ita seidauk hetan ukun-an iha aspeitu sira seluk – ekonómiku, sosial, kultural no sst. Ita bele halo buat sira ne’e, tamba istoria hamutuk no hatudu mai ita katak laiha buat ida imposível. Funu foun ida ne’e laos buat ida fasil,liu-liu tamba ita funu hasoru ita nia-an rasik. Atu manan funu ida ne’e ita presiza “hikis kosar no servisu makas, iha objetivu ida hanesan, servisu ho seriedade, onestidade no kapasidade sakrifísiu”. Ita tenki buka fali “sidadaun foun”,  tenki hamanas fali “konsiénsia maubere” no “maubere nia klamar” ne’ebé “servisu makaas maibe nunka atu buka riku”. Ita tenki hamanas no hamosu fali nasionalizmu foun ida hodi hadomi ita nia nasaun no “uza Nasaun nia riku-soin sira hodi dezenvolve ho lolós ita nia ekonomia, hamenus kiak no harí nasaun ida diak, seguru no próperu”. Nasionalizmu foun ida ne’e maka monu ba responsabilidade ita jerasaun foun sira. Ita nia nasionalista jerasaun tuan sira fó fiar ida ne’e mai ita. Sira haré ita hanesan “força promissora do nosso Povo, ...esperança na construção da nossa Pátria, ...garantia do futuro da Nação”. Nune’e sira entrega mai ita “obrigasaun hodi kontinua ita nia Luta”. Ita nia luta, la seluk la leet, maka luta ba ba Povu no Nação nia moris diak.

*Artigu ida ne’e opiniaun pesoal autór nian, la reprezenta ema ka instituisaun ida ka ruma autór asosiadu ho/ba.

Nasionalizmu Foun Iha Prosesu Dezenvolvimentu Nasional Reflesaun & Rezolusaun Tinan Foun

Nasionalizmu Foun Iha Prosesu Dezenvolvimentu Nasional

Reflesaun &  Rezolusaun Tinan Foun

*Cosme da Costa Aráujo

Mehi ba ukun-rasik-an laos buat ida fasil. Realista sira iha tempu ne’ebá hateten Timor-Leste mehi mehi ida imposível – mimpi disiang bolong. Maibé, hanesan ita nia Prezidente Nicolau Lobato rasik ho fiar-an dehan “a nossa vitória é certa”, ikus mai liu husi funu ida naruk entre Davíd vs Goliat, Timor-Leste nia mehi imposível ida ne’e sai duni realidade ida laos imposível ona. Istoria hamutuk no hatudu mai ita katak hamutuk ita bele alkansa buat ne’ebé imposível. Biar hasoru susar, terus no mate oin-oin, ita kaer metin nafatin ba espíritu nasionalizmu maubere nian hodi hakilar no moris tuir liafuan “mate ka moris ukun-rasik-an”. Ita bele halo buat sira imposível ne’e, tamba deit “ita hadomi ita nia rai” – nasionalizmu. Ho ida ne’e maka nasionalista sira iha ai-laran, vila-laran no rai-liur la lakon esperansa hodi kontinua funu tuir sira idak-idak nia dalan no kbi’it. Ho ida ne’e mos nasionalista sira barak la monu ba tentasaun sira hanesan “kareta, uma, rupiah, sigaru gudang-garam no supermi”. Ho nasionalizmu ida forte,  ita rezisti para manan –  “resistir é vencer”, hanesan maun Bo’ot Xanana rasik dehan iha tempu ne’ebá. 

Hafoin funu ba “libertar a pátria” remata,  ita kontinua ho funu foun ida seluk “libertar o povo” ba Timor-Leste ida “forte, prósperu no seguru”. Maibé hanesan ita nia Prezidente Taur Matan Ruak rasik hateten “funu ida uluk fasil liu duké funu ida agora”. Funu ida agora – funu ba dezenvolvimentu nasional – laos ona funu ida fasil tamba ninia sirkumtánsia la hanesan, liu-liu tamba ita funu hasoru inimigu foun – ita nia-an rasik. Timor-Leste konsege “halo buat barak iha tempu badak nia laran” – dehan Presidente TMR. Ita iha paz no estabilidade, kresimentu ekonómiku ida bo’ot, meloramentu iha bem-estar, servisu saúde, asesu ba edukasaun, ahi moris permanente, dezenvolvimentu infraestrutura bázika, transferénsia sosial ne’ebé fó benefísiu direita povu ki’ik no kiak sira. Ita bele halo diak liu tan, sé karik iha tinan 15 nia laran ita fó laran no sakrifísiu tomak ho espirítu nasionalizmu ne’ebé uluk ita kaer metin ba ba iha prosesu foun dezenvolvimentu nasional ida ne’e. Infelizmente, nasionalizmu ida ne’e hahú mihis daun-daun ona.

Buat hotu-hotu ne’ebé ita halo ohin loron, ita hanoin uluk ita nia-an no ita nia familia. Wainhira ita kaer ukun, ita laos sai servidór ba estadu no povu, ne’ebé ita promete atu serví, maibé ita serví uluk ita nia-an, ita nia familia no amigu sira. Ita fó projeitu ba ita nia familia no amigu sira. Wainhira ita kaer ukun, ita hanoin uluk maka pensaun vitalísia. Ita kaer ukun buka haksubar-an husi transparánsia liu husi rejime espesial oin-oin. Ita uza partidu hanesan kurtina deit, manipuladu husi grupu elit burguoise balun ne’ebé iha osan, lori povu nia naran futu lia ba serve sira nia interese. Partidu polítiku laos dalan atu serví povu, maibe dalan ba poder no osan. Funu-nain balun ba libertasaun rai ida ne’e transforma fali tiha ona ba funu-nain aristokrasia. Sira merese duni atu hetan buat diak sira ne’e, maibe sira sei iha responsabilidade nafatin hodi kontinua luta ida ne’e to’o nia rohan, luta ba ukun-an ida kompleta – ba povu nia moris diak.

Wainhira halo lei ita haré uluk lei sira la soke ho ita nia interese.  Ita veta lei ba rai ne’ebé hateten ema ne’ebé faan rai tempu uluk laiha ona direitu no sira ne’ebé arenda rai iha tempu uluk laos nain ba rai. Nune’e uluk ita faan tiha ona rai, agora ita faan tan. Wainhira ita fó projeitu, ita ijiji uluk persen, uang-rokok, uang-pelicing. Ita apreveita ita nia koneksaun, ita nia naran, no ita nia luta hodi hais buat ruma husi estadu. Ita hanaran-an emprezáriu maibé ita sai broker ba ema seluk. Ita so manan naran deit, maibe ema seluk manan osan. Ita hela ho naran dólar, maibe dólar dolar ba ema seluk nian bolsu no rai seluk. Ita halo projeitu ulun-tun ain-sae, tamba wainhira ita manan projeitu, ita hanoin uluk tiha ona sosa kareta Hammer no hola feto ki’ik. Ita halo servisu estadu nian ita rekere uluk fasilidade hanesan kareta, motor, per diem, osan pulsa, osan han no overtime. Ita tama servisu tarde no sai sedu. Tan deit osan dólar, ita faan tiha ita nia nasaun ba nasaun seluk no kompañia internasional sira.

Ita uza instrumentu nasaun nian hanesan F-FDTL no Polisia ho halo abuzu ba ema sivil, hodi proteje familia no kolega. Ita halo instalasaun ilegal ba eletresidade no bé, no halo estragus ba propriedade públika hanesan ké estrada kuak, taka dalan, soe foer arbiru, sobu obras públika sira ne’ebé estadu fornese. Wainhira ita eskola bo’ot ona, ita ejiji saláriu bo’ot tamba ita sente ita merese liu. Ita valoriza liu ema seluk, duke ita-an emar rasi tamba deit kor diferente. Ita moe ho ita nia kultura, ita nia knananuk, maibe ita orgulu liu ho ema seluk nian. Nune’e tinan-tinan ita komera heroi sira nia mate, ita konvida kantor/a Indonesia mai haksolok ita. Ita estraga ema seluk nia futuru liu husi loke eskola seim asegura kualidade. Ita husik lutu nasaun nia naksobu hodi fasilita ema no sasán tama mai ita rai-laran ilegalmente. Ki’ik no kiak la hetan justisa, maibe bo’ot no riku evita justisa tamba sira iha osan, familia, koneksaun, partidu no kor. Iha buat barak seluk tan ne’ebé hau labele temin hotu iha ne’e. Buat sira ne’e hotu mosu tan deit espíritu nasionalizmu – hadomi ita nia nasaun, ne’ebé uluk ita kaer metin ba komesa mihis daun-daun ona.

Kolonializmu no okupasaun tuan bele lakon, maibe kolonizmu no okupasaun foun mosu mai naban-naban haksumik-an iha forma oin-oin. Ukun-an ida ne’e seidauk kompleta ka atinji ninia totalidade, enkuantu ita seidauk hetan ukun-an iha aspeitu sira seluk – ekonómiku, sosial, kultural no sst. Ita bele halo buat sira ne’e, tamba istoria hamutuk no hatudu mai ita katak laiha buat ida imposível. Funu foun ida ne’e laos buat ida fasil,liu-liu tamba ita funu hasoru ita nia-an rasik. Atu manan funu ida ne’e ita presiza “hikis kosar no servisu makas, iha objetivu ida hanesan, servisu ho seriedade, onestidade no kapasidade sakrifísiu”. Ita tenki hamanas fali “konsiénsia maubere” no “maubere nia klamar” ne’ebé “servisu makaas maibe nunka atu buka riku”. Ita tenki hamanas no hamosu fali nasionalizmu foun ida hodi hadomi ita nia nasaun no “uza Nasaun nia riku-soin sira hodi dezenvolve ho lolós ita nia ekonomia, hamenus kiak no harí nasaun ida diak, seguru no próperu”. Nasionalizmu foun ida ne’e maka monu ba responsabilidade ita jerasaun foun sira. Ita nia nasionalista jerasaun tuan sira fó fiar ida ne’e mai ita. Sira haré ita hanesan “força promissora do nosso Povo, ...esperança na construção da nossa Pátria, ...garantia do futuro da Nação”. Nune’e sira entrega mai ita “obrigasaun hodi kontinua ita nia Luta”. Ita nia luta, la seluk la leet, maka luta ba ba Povu no Nação nia moris diak.

*Artigu ida ne’e opiniaun pesoal autór nian, la reprezenta ema ka instituisaun ida ka ruma autór asosiadu ho/ba.

Flavor of home-grown coffee spreading beyond East Timor

http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Consumers/Flavor-of-home-grown-coffee-spreading-beyond-East-Timor

Warning signs

Simen Bjornerud

Observing the development in the Government’s incomes and expenditures gives rise to concerns, of which some are briefly discussed below.

One concern is the frontloading of capital expenditures in which the Government aims to make big investments today in order to achieve strong growth and hopefully broad-based prosperity in the future. Although the idea intuitively seems reasonable, caveats in the implementation abound. One crucial condition for success is that you have the necessary administrative and institutional capacity to make sure every dollar is well spent. I note that appropriations of fresh money to the budget item “development capital” have come down quite a bit since the peak in 2012. I assume this has to do with declining execution rates and transfer of piled-up cash to the next budget year. Banging against the administrative constraint like this, I fear an increased likelihood of waste and poor projects.

Another, and maybe greater, concern is the acceleration of recurrent expenditures. Figures 1 and 2 show how these expenditures have ballooned compared with domestically collected revenues. Many recurrent expenditures are well justified, some are not. But that is not really the point. The point is that the development cannot be sustained. It is not affordable. These expenditures need to come down.

Figure 1: Enjoying the public purse

 

Figure 2: Closing the gap

Nationals with super high salaries have been the topic of some hot discussions lately. Figure 1 shows that expenditures to wages have increased, but the increase appears less dramatic than the increase in goods and services and public transfers. Still, super high salaries to a selected group of people could be seen as a symptom, a visible sign, of the wider lack of budgetary discipline.

In addition to contributing to the financing gap, the relatively weak development in domestic revenues also represents the lack of a “social contract” between the Government and the people. In a society where the citizens generally pay taxes, they will to a greater extent hold their Government to account. In Timor-Leste, relatively few people pay taxes and most of the budget is financed by oil money. The people of Timor-Leste probably feels less ownership to oil money than if it was his or her “own” hard earned tax contribution. That suggests that the Government to a greater degree can do as it pleases without being scrutinized by their constituencies.

In conclusion, there are clear signs that Timor-Leste is living above its means. Over time the Government’s budget constraint is defined by domestic revenues and the ESI from the Petroleum Fund. The Government has been spending much more than that for a while, the rationale being to “kick-start” the economy. Lately, the high spending has to a greater extent been driven by accelerating recurrent spending. As opposed to the frontloading strategy, it is hard to find a reasonable rationale behind this development. Be careful, if not dealt with, it could become nasty.

 

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http://issuu.com/morningtonnews/docs/mn_15_september_2015/1