Government invests to kick start development

Government invests to kick start development

*Cosme da Costa Araujo

 

Timor-Leste’s 2015 budget is currently being discussed in the National Parliament. Lawmakers unanimously approved “the generalities” last week and they will continue to discuss “the specifics” over the next two weeks until the whole budget discussion concludes on the 19^th December 2014.

 

A great achievement starts with a dream

 

Timor-Leste once dreamt of independence, of which then so-called “realists” saw as an impossible dream. Now Timor-Leste dreams of development and skeptics see it as an unrealistic dream. The truth is that every great achievement is a dream before it becomes reality. It requires a plan, hard work and persistence to make a dream comes true.

 

As with the other previous year budgets, 2015’s budget will continue to focus on funding Government’s strategies designed towards achieving Timor-Leste’s aspiration to transition from a low-income to an upper-middle income country by 2030 with a prosperous, healthy and educated population. The Strategic Development Plan (SDP) sets outs “a pathway” to make this dream come true. In doing so, the Plan aims to develop core infrastructure, human resources and economic development in priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism and oil and gas.

 

 “Frontloading” to fast track development

 

Petroleum Fund is the cornerstone of the Government’s policy for economic development. Most Government’s investments were financed by Petroleum Fund with additional financing from domestic taxes, loans and donors’ assistance. The Petroleum Fund is a fiscal tool that helps to manage petroleum revenues wisely to benefit both current and future generations. By doing so, it plays the roles of both saving and stabilizing mechanisms. For the former, the Petroleum Fund ensures that future generations have an equitable access to and share of the nation’s wealth, and with the latter it helps to minimize budget volatility and ensure macroeconomic stability.

 

Over the last ten years, the Government executed $6.4 billion out of the total $8.6 billion budgeted. The Petroleum Fund financed $5.5 billion of that investment (Estimated Sustainable Income + Excess Withdrawal). Of the $1.7 billion in excess of the ESI to be withdrawn from the Fund, $1.2 billion was executed. Not withdrawing the full budgeted amount is not a bad thing. The Government is aware of the opportunity costs associated with parking the unspent amount in the Treasury account, therefore money is withdrawn only when it is needed and left in the Fund as long as possible to earn a higher return. If none of us busy “facebooking”, the alleged $1.7 billion unaccounted for would not have come up.

 

The rationale behind withdrawing temporary excess withdrawal, which is the Government’s “frontloading” policy, is to fast track the development of basic infrastructure. Temporary excess withdrawals are necessary to ensure major investments in building important basic infrastructures and human resources in the country. Big investments in these two areas are the only way to raise productivity and promote job growth in the long-run. Of the total $2.4 billion budgeted for Infrastructure Fund, $1.3 billion was withdrawn from the Fund and $1.2 billion was executed. The unspent amount was rolled over to the next budget year.

 

It is a natural process where “at the first development stage, Government takes the leading role to get the investment going”, especially at the time when private sector was “still fledging and not yet ready to assume its leading role as driver of the economy”. The investments in infrastructure and human resources benefit both current and future generations alike. Once most of the necessary infrastructures are in place, the Government’s capital investment can then be reduced. The Government’s fiscal policy would then be for total expenditures to equal domestic revenues plus ESI. With Petroleum Fund’s assets diversified into return seeking assets to earn an average long-term real return of 3%, fiscal policy will be aligned with investment policy, leaving the Fund’s capital intact for the foreseeable future. 

 

A lot was done in ten years

 

Arguing that all of the Government’s investments so far have gone down the drain is simply unfair and misleading. Being independent for just 12 years old, Timor-Leste is “making significant progress in such a short time in a post-conflict society”. Of nearly $9 billion spent by donors in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2009, less than 10% benefited Timorese and what Timor-Leste left with were thousands of unread reports and a crisis. With about two third of that amount Timor-Leste has accomplished a lot. Ramos Horta, former President of Timor-Leste, agreed when he observed that “not all was bad and a lot was done in ten years”.

 

A peaceful and stable country - Timor-Leste managed to say “goodbye to conflict” and achieve peace and stability in just a short period of time. Without peace and stability there can be no development. Significant progress made to date would not be possible without the Government’s effort to consolidate peace and stability. Timor-Leste cannot afford to lose the momentum and the benefits forgone while dwelling with resolving the conflict. Therefore, the Government will continue to maintain peace and stability at whatever cost.

 

An impressive economic growth - Timor-Leste’s economy has continued to show impressive double-digit growth since 2007, which prompted the Economist to name Timor-Leste among the nine fastest growing economies of the world in 2011. In addition, Timor-Leste has one of the world’s most investment friendly environments. Apart from lower tax rate and business costs, the ease of doing business improved considerably as evidenced by the recent 2014’s WB Doing Business Report. The improvement was attributed to the creation of SERVE – the one-stop-shop for starting up a business.

 

A private sector starts to take hold - the Government has issued 163 certificates of investment for 112 foreign investors and 51 national investors. Investors from 18 countries are investing in construction, hospitality, trade, transportation, tourism and many other industries, creating 4,524 jobs for the Timorese. Private sector growth has translated into domestic revenue that has grown strongly in recent years. A total $900 million was collected from domestic tax in the last ten years, averaging about $100 million per year.  The amount forecasted to be collected in 2015 amounts to $170 million, 62% higher than the amount collected in 2011. Agriculture production, measured in real term, increased from 0.30% in 2008 to 14% in 2012.

 

An improved living standard - the 2011’s UNDP Human Development Report placed Timor-Leste in the medium human development category. Timor-Leste ranked 120 out of 169 countries and moved ahead of other countries in the region like Cambodia, Lao, and Myanmar and ranked higher than PNG, and most Sub-Saharan African countries. Household consumption increased from 22% in 2007 to 53% in 2013 and further compounded as inflation falls to a record low averaging at 1.3% in the first 2 quarters of 2014. Average life expectancy increased from 57 in 2005 and 67 in 2014.

 

An improved health service - infant and child mortality had been halved. Incidences of malaria and dengue decreased significantly and the World Health Organization (WHO) honored Timor-Leste’s success in 2014. The same world organization also considers Timor-Leste to be free from leprosy. The percentage of children with below average weight fell from 46% in 2001 to 38% in 2013. The ratio between medical staffs and patients also improved. About 710 Timorese medics work in districts, of which 442 were allocated to Sucos and Aldeias and the rest were distributed to regional hospitals. In the next 2-3 years, Timor-Leste will have more medics than any country in Asia. In term of infrastructure, 122 health facilities across 13 districts were built and rehabilitated.

 

An improved education accessibility and professional development - the percentage of children attending school increased considerably from 66% in 2007 to 92% in 2013. By the end of the decade, 60% of young children from the poorest families were in school. As of 2014 Government provided scholarships to about 2,571 Timorese to study in various universities in the country (52%) and overseas. In addition, about 16,931 Timorese attended professional technical trainings provided by training centers in the country (96%) and overseas. A total 311 schools across 13 districts were rehabilitated and a set of 50,000 chairs and tables were purchased and distributed and the remaining 50,000 will be distributed earlier next year.

 

A better accessibility  - more than half of the population has access to electricity, which often make people in the other side of the borders are jealous of. Household access to electricity improved from 22% in 2007 to 53% in 2013. Numerous irrigations schemes, water and sanitation, kilometers of national and rural roads, bridges, markets were rehabilitated and constructed and preliminary studies were done for the construction of ports and airports.

 

Governments’ social programs start to pay dividend - many recipients can now afford to send their children to schools, even to private schools in and out of the country, rebuild their houses, and improve their daily dieta.

 

A bumpy road still lies ahead

 

Despite all of the significant progress made to date, the quality of the investment still needs to be improved. As a dollar spent cannot be spent twice, we therefore need to make sure every dollar spent counts. The Government has taken necessary measures through “organization of procurement and oversights of procedures to ensure better quality minimize waste”.

 

The ride towards achieving the dream of becoming an upper middle-income country with a prosperous, healthy and educated population will be a bumpy one. But just like the road to Maliana, things are improving and our journey is becoming smoother. A lot of challenges still lie ahead and they cannot be overcome in a single generation. Just like Rome, Timor-Leste cannot be built overnight. It may not be us but our children and grand children that will enjoy the full fruit of the development. The Government’s budgets and Strategic Development plan meet our responsibility to ensure that they have the best for themselves.

 

 

Timor stands up, international elites say sit down

By Amb. Pierre-Richard Prosper - - Friday, November 28, 2014

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/28/prosper-timor-stands-international-elites-say-sit-/#!

 

The recent news that Timor-Leste’s parliament voted to terminate contracts of the international judges it has relied upon since the birth of its country should be seen as a major step forward in the small pacific-island nation’s path toward true self-governance.

 

By this act, Timor has shown the world it is committed to gaining its full independence and ending its reliance on the international community. After years of violence, sacrifice and grave human rights abuses committed against it, Timor continues to move forward. It took another step when it ended the United Nation’s operational control over its government and people, despite the fact that many in the UN community deemed the move unacceptable and premature.

 

But Timor officials were committed to get off the world body’s agenda and the international welfare system. Now, the country that became a nation in 2002 is sending another strong and clear message by eliminating the role of international judges as the principle decision makers and removing their hold on the Timor judicial system.

 

As one of the first prosecutors before an international tribunal and a diplomat under Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, I had the responsibility of leading efforts throughout the world to build the rule of law. I provided and coordinated technical legal assistance to developing and post-conflict countries like Rwanda, Cambodia, Sierra Leone and in the Balkans.

 

As part of that mandate, I played a role in recruiting and placing lawyers and judges in systems to assist in capacity building and promote accountability. In the beginning of 2000, under the direction and pursuant to the policy of President Clinton, I was sent to Timor to initiate the effort to create the first justice system in an independent Timor. Our stated goal was to recruit international experts to train, advise and assist the new system - but not lead it. The international community specifically rejected an international tribunal believing domestic ownership of the judiciary was necessary and proper.

 

Timor officials were sensitive to the need for international assistance early on but wanted sovereign development. However, what has transpired is that with the passage of time, international jurists enjoyed full power and a culture of judicial dependency emerged. This dependency resulted in the internationals maintaining and possessing effective control over the system for the last 12 years.

 

This control has stifled growth in domestic judicial capacity and caused many local jurists to defer judgment to the more experienced internationalists. Meanwhile, some of the international jurists underperformed, were essentially unaccountable since their regulatory body was far away from the courthouse steps in Dili, and believed that Timor should simply be grateful for their presence.

 

The international community talks a lot about capacity building. Many of those advocating for young democracies to do more to engrain the rule of law are the very ones complaining when the new governments begin to make sovereign decisions regarding what is best for their judiciary. It is all too easy to criticize a new democracy from the comforts of 250-plus year old systems. Demanding that gold-plated systems be created overnight is unrealistic and frankly a patronizing expectation. The European and U.S. systems, which are held out as the standard, were not created overnight nor could they have been. It took centuries of trial, error, controversy and reform to gain the acceptance and faith we have in them – generally - today. And yet, they remain imperfect.

 

The Timor parliament has taken the long-view in its path towards independence. It realizes that mistakes have been made by international jurists and local experts alike. It has also created a new independent commission of international and domestic experts to audit and critique the still-new judicial system.

 

While we all hope that young democracies such as Timor will work to minimize the errors that will surely occur, we must recognize that organic and consistent growth is the surest way to create a strong and enduring system. Timor has taken a major step forward in controlling its own future, it should be applauded for the progress. We frankly often see too little of it from fragile and new states.

 

Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper is the former U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes and represents the Government of Timor-Leste in various legal matters.

 

Defesa da soberania implica consolidar funcionamento responsável do Estado -- Xanana Gusmão

02 de Dezembro de 2014, 08:45

 

http://noticias.sapo.tl/portugues/info/artigo/1423306.html

 

O primeiro-ministro, Xanana Gusmão, afirmou ontem que a defesa da soberania implica consolidar a autonomia e o funcionamento responsável de todas as instituições do Estado para garantir a "proteção do bem comum", segundo agência Lusa.
"Timor-Leste está determinado em fazer vencer a sua vontade política coletiva, consubstanciada nos valores democráticos que partilhamos e que estão plasmados na Constituição, e, a defesa da nossa soberania implica também a consolidação da autonomia e funcionamento eficiente, profissional e responsável de todas as instituições do Estado", disse Xanana Gusmão.

O primeiro-ministro discursava no parlamento nacional no início da discussão do Orçamento Geral do Estado para 2015, que deverá terminar no próximo dia 18.

"Se um destes órgãos se encontra debilitado, toda a máquina do Estado é afetada e exige uma ação imediata para a proteção do bem comum. É por isso imperativo garantir que onde são detetadas fragilidades no funcionamento do Estado como um todo, se atue com vista ao seu fortalecimento, usando da interdependência de poderes", salientou.

Xanana Gusmão referia-se, embora sem nunca o afirmar diretamente, às recentes resoluções aprovadas pelas autoridades timorenses que determinaram uma auditoria ao setor da Justiça por razões de "força maior e interesse nacional", que culminaram com a expulsão de magistrados portugueses do país.

"Muitos talvez não compreendam isto e não entendam os mais altos valores de soberania que temos de defender. Muitos ainda não compreenderam os desafios que se colocam a um país jovem como o nosso que foi construído a partir do nada", sublinhou, no discurso de 18 páginas.

Segundo Xanana Gusmão, as particularidades e o futuro de Timor-Leste e os sacrifícios do povo "exigem por vezes tomadas de posição rigorosas ainda que incompreendidas à escala das ditas democracias modernas e seculares".

"Ao que outros chamam de arrogância é, no entanto, para nós timorenses, meramente o reconhecimento da necessidade premente de corrigir aquilo que não nos serve e de reformar aquilo que não protege os interesses superiores da Nação", explicou Xanana Gusmão.
@Lusa

Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers from November 21st, 2014

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

V Constitutional Government

.............................................................................................................................

Dili, November 21^st, 2014

Press Release

 

The Council of Ministers met extraordinarily this Friday, November 21st, 2014, in the Council of Ministers Meeting Room, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved two diplomas:

 

1. Government Resolution approving the Investment Agreement with Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

 

The Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd proposed project, for the construction of a beer factory in Timor-Leste, entails an investment exceeding forty million dollars.

Following the proposal evaluation by an Investment Commission comprised by several institutions, and whose results were presented to the Council of Ministers on the meeting of September 17^th, the Government has decided to approve an Investment Agreement with Heineken, under which some tax benefits provided for in the Investment Law are conceded to the company.

 

2. Decree Law regulating the Special Development Fund

 

The Fund is aimed at financing, in an efficient, safe and transparent way, the implementation of a set of projects included in the development plan for the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno.

 

The Council of Ministers also analyzed four presentations:

 

1. Pelican Paradise Investment Project

 

The State Secretariat for the Support and Promotion of the Private Sector presented to the Council of Ministers the investment project from the international company Pelican Paradise Holdings Timor-Leste located in Singapore, for the construction and exploration of a five star hotel complex located between Díli and Tibar, with an investment of around 310 million dollars.

 

The project includes a hotel with 492 bedrooms, gym, restaurant, spa, convention center for one thousand and five-hundred people, golf course, commercial area and residential area.

 

During the construction stage of the hotel complex, the Investor estimates that one-thousand and five-hundred direct jobs may be created, 70% to 80% of which can be carried out by Timorese. Once the hotel complex is completed and operational, the investor foresees that 830 jobs will be established and maintained, 70% to 80% of which can be carried out by Timorese.

 

2. Arbitration Process and Maritime Boundaries Dispute

 

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources presented, to the Council of Ministers, an current assessment of the Arbitration Process and Maritime Boundaries Dispute.

 

3. Timor GAP Activity Report

 

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, alongside the President for Timor GAP, E.P. has presented, to the Council of Ministers, the company’s Activity Report, for the years 2012 and 2013. The documents include detailed data on human resources, accomplished projects and projects to be developed, Timor-Leste Onshore prospecting studies, business and partnership opportunities, development of the National Oil industry, joint petroleum development area, amongst others.

 

4. Calendar of Activities during the Presidency of the CPLP

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation presented, to the Council of Ministers, the calendar of the activities scheduled to occur during the Rotating Presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLC), by Timor-Leste (2014-2016), and of which the highlights are the high level ministerial meetings between ministers of several areas, from the nine countries belonging to this organization.

Xanana Expresses Discontent Scorn and Anger towards Australia

Written by Tempo Semanal

Kinta, 26 Dezembru 2013 08:41

http://www.temposemanal.com/nasional/xanana-expresses-discontent-scorn-and-anger-towards-australia

 

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão showed clearly that he was not happy with the attitude of the Australian Government in his statement to the media at Nicolau Lobato Airport after returning from an overseas trip on Saturday (07/12).

The country’s former resistance leader sarcastically questioned how a large democracy like Australia, the nation which led the INTERFET peacekeeping force in 1999, could come and lecture Timor Leste.

According to Xanana, the Australian government’s record is tainted because of its support for the integration of Timor Leste with Indonesia. Australia must not forget its past record in supporting Indonesia’s illegal occupation of Timor Leste during twenty four years.

The Prime Minister said that he is concerned for the safety for the ex-intelligence member who has became a witness for the spying case which the government of Australia had done against the Timor Leste negotiating team thought planting of listening devices in 2004.

Therefore he has written to the International Court of Justice in the Hague to ask the Prime Minister of Australia to ensure the safety of the ex-member of ASIS.

The former resistance leader also described the Australian government as “arrogant” and “dumb”, and he asked that the young people holding protests to behave in a disciplined way, “so that we can continue to project a good image in the international community”.

Speaking to the media at Nicolau Lobato Airport the Prime Minister said:

“There are many countries teaching us democracy but it is difficult. That is why in Bali I said in often in large, rich and developed countries they make us sign up to conventions, telling us you have to follow it and you have to be like this. They give us human rights conventions, conventions for this or that, even if we say we don’t have that they say, you must, you must sign it quickly but over in Europe they also many problems”.“The problem with international conventions is that some read it the papers the do the same, these are the so-called really developed countries teaching us telling us that if we follow these conventions then they can set a good example to us. If they set examples to us, it makes us (turn to China). I put a big question saying “what is this democracy for?”

Laughing derisively, the Prime Minister described Australia as “a very big country, such a rich, country.” Gesturing with his hands, and the tip of his fingernail, he showed how “Timor Leste could fit inside Australia like a grain of sand dropped on a beach. That is why we don’t accept that they used military intelligence to explore a country yet to stand on its own, to explore our weakness and unpreparedness.”

Timor Leste is a nation which experienced many different problems after the referendum, and the people still face all sorts of problems since we achieved independence. “That is why,” Xanana said “with all this we cannot allow a very big country to use its military intelligence to exploit us…I am not saying we were dumb but we were ignorant and unprepared and we were naïve.”

The Prime Minister of Timor Leste also explained that journalist had questioned him about the surveillance but he tried dodging the questions and his reply was to “wait and see”.

“It is best to listen, sometimes you ask, and I don’t say anything, and not mention this again. Because although we are small, and a undeveloped country and we so many problems but we have an identity that we are also human, as they would say in Manatuto, we are human too?

“So this was mentioned before lightly, and in the end we found someone that can forward with information. This process took time it did not appeared instantly, no; we studied it, looked at it and studied it, look at it, sought advice”.

“We consulted the top international law professors,not just any ones, but the top ones. They are worldly known and they said that these were the best and we should take it to court. So then we prepared everything, we consulted here and there, I wrote a letter to the Australian Government proposing a meeting to sit together and talk about it. Because that a good thing to do. You have done wrong. But, oh no, the Australian Government denied it. For his part, the Prime Minister said “you don’t have evidence, this is what happened, etc, etc… I said, because we have it that is why we are here and I am writing to you.”

‘After they sent a special envoy and we argued. They sent someone else, and others met Minister Alfredo Pires and other officials. For them they think that “who do you think you are? No we don’t want that, no, no… then they sent a Minister to meet me. I said to that Minister, I have told your Prime Minister that we don’t need heroes. There is a problem, but for us, our principles are that we continue to have good relations with Australia but we have a problem and we must sit and solve it, and not let it affect things. Because the people of Timor Leste are not an irrational people, we don’t behave like other countries where they burn and walk on your flag. No, these people are well-mannered and we must continue to show the world that although we are small, we are a smart people.
Smart does not mean we have PhDs and that not is why we are smart. Our elderly, men and women in the villages don’t know how to read that is not why they are smart.”

“And so because the [Australian government] did not want to set and talk, I wrote to them again and said okay, I have said many times that if you don’t want to sit and talk then the road to the courts in The Hague is a long one. That is why I wrote to tell them that if they refused to sit and talk and for us to solve it amicably then we sent it there (to the courts). But they also prepared their team. For arbitration it is needed three people, we give one of ours they give one of theirs then the two will chose one other to be the head. All is going well.”

“In the beginning we did not want to let this news out,” the Prime Minister said. Pointing at the journalists present, he laughed and said “Many of you had asked me but I said no. It was the Australian government who brought it out first, they brought it out first but they did not say much, they only said that we were not so good.”
“So everything was only completed two days ago on the 5th, to go and speak like we normally do but we were told that we needed to follow a procedure, a procedure to take them to court, and they told us what else may be needed.”

“Our concern is now our witness. We already know that our witness cannot be present; they (courts) will not believe us they will say that we made it up. That is why on the 5th we asked the Courts to caution Australia to protect our witness so that if he is needed then he can fly there and give his testimony. That was on the 5th two days ago.”

Xanana accused Australia of arrogance, and an attitude of “we are bigger than you, we are richer and we are smarter, show us.” “But instead,” he continued, “they showed their stupidity by breaking into the house of our lawyer and stealing all things related to this case. They took our witness for investigation. So if a poor fellow like me is to analyse it I would say: what are you, scared? Or are you ashamed? Do you have a problem? You had denied before why is it that now there is this problem?”

“What is even worse is that the Attorney General who ordered the case to go to court did all these things and said this is because national security.” With an air of derision, poking his tongue out Xanana asked “wow … are we supposed to be invading Australia?” We are supposed to put a bomb and send it, or put them in a plane and drop it on Australia? Wow… the Australian government has forgotten, has forgotten since the invasion until now.” He added “they have forgotten everything. Australia has forgotten that they were like [crossed fingers] with Indonesia, collaborating with Indonesia, that is why they remained silent about the Australian journalists killed in Balibo. They knew but they remained silent about it.” Showing a picture of Indonesian and Australian Foreign Ministers, Ali Alatas and Gareth Evans, flying over our Bayu Undan and toasting each other with champagne, he added: “Our treasures divided between them saying you take 50% and I will take 50%. Sharing our assets while killing us.”

“That is what they are afraid and they talk about security, security reasons and national security, I am totally amazed. That is why I say to be that smart sometimes it can be dumb.”
“That is why these people continue to show maturity and integrity.”

“Now they have confiscated our witness’s passport, if asked in The Hague for his testimony he cannot leave the country. That is arrogance, arrogance saying you (Timor Leste) so small what do you want? That is a lack of morals, a lack of ethics. It is the first time that I hear that they use military intelligence to monitor a problem that is to do with business. That is democracy for you.” Pointing a finger to his chest, Xanana continued “Since they are a big country, a rich country they want to show that they continue to dominate the smaller ones, and so to intimidate.”

“Some of you may remember that I have toured the whole of Timor to discuss the Strategic Plan, I have always said in same places, some people are spies, I knew and I said spies (mata-mata). So now I say, that I am shouting at Australia maybe I will be afraid to go to Australia because they may kill me. All these things. (Xanana concerned with his situation).”

“But I must say that I am afraid. I am very concerned about our witness. If they ask what will I say? I could say that he was eliminated in another place, people do that. They took the witness, destroyed his mobile and no one is responsible. We only have him, if they take him away, what can we do then? So what is Australia scared of? Australia has denied any wrongdoing but why is it scared? Security reasons? So because of security reasons do we take our F-FDTL to ambush them? With our two little navy boats we are going to shoot at each other in the high seas?”

“I feel happy. I feel happy because sometimes we talk and talk and they say wah! Now we tell you, now we are standing up, it’s really arrogant! But no, it is not arrogance. Just showing them that we can also think with our brains, but they say that we are arrogant. Their (Australia’s) arrogance is what they say; you (TL) are so small that we can continue to keep you down.”

Pointing to both shoulders, Xanana said ‘That is what I said when I toured the whole country, 500 hundred years of Portugal weighing on the left shoulder, twenty-four years of Indonesia weighing on the right shoulder, for as long as I live no one will sit on my head.”

“I will simply ask that we express our displeasure or unhappiness with civility. Not to go and destroy or to insult. Together let us show that these people are a smart people. I don’t want people insulting each other; we must show that Timorese people are smart. If he is not happy then he will only protest in front like now.”

Asked if it could have bad impact if the Australia government does not allow our witness to go and testify, Xanana replied: ‘Impossible. The [Australians] have played a trick saying by destroying the mobile phone, losing it etc etc… the impact is that we will not be able to argue our case. But the case is still on, and I have already giving a statement asking Prime Minister Tony Abbot to give security/protection. Security so that nothing can happen to him (witness). When his phone was destroyed we had suspicions. I don’t think it will have a negative impact, unless his other mobile is destroyed or that he goes and have something to eat in some place then all of a sudden he has a bad stomach ache, aah! That is what the rascals in intelligence traditionally do.”

“That is why I have issued a statement to asking Prime Minsiter Tony Abbot to please ensure the safety, the physical safety of the witness.

Governo aprova investimento da cervejeira Heineken em Timor-Leste

http://noticias.sapo.tl/portugues/info/artigo/1422783.html

26 de Novembro de 2014, 10:47

 

O Governo anunciou ontem a aprovação dum projeto da cervejeira Heineken para construir uma fábrica de cerveja no país, num investimento superior a 40 milhões de dólares, segundo comunicado divulgado à imprensa.

 

"Na sequência da avaliação da proposta, por uma Comissão de Investimento composta por várias instituições, cujos resultados foram apresentados ao Conselho de Ministros na reunião de 17 de setembro, o Governo decidiu aprovar um Acordo de Investimento com a Heineken, ao abrigo da qual lhe são concedidos alguns benefícios fiscais previstos na Lei de Investimento", refere em comunicado.

 

A Heineken Ásia, baseada em Singapura, tinha já anunciado intenção de investir 40 milhões de dólares (cerca de 31 milhões de euros) no país para construir uma fábrica e produzir cervejas e bebidas alcoólicas e não alcoólicas.

 

A empresa, que em Timor-Leste está registada como Heineken Timor, S.A, pretende criar 1000 postos de trabalho no país.

 

No mesmo comunicado, referente à reunião de Conselho de Ministros do passado dia 21, o Governo informa que analisou um projeto de investimento de uma empresa com sede em Singapura para a construção e exploração de um complexo hoteleiro de cinco estrelas entre Díli e Tíbar, onde deverá ser construído o novo porto do país.

 

Segundo o comunicado, o investimento ronda os 310 milhões de dólares e na fase inicial de construção deverá criar 1500 postos de trabalho diretos.

 

"Quando estiver concluído e em funcionamento, o investidor prevê que sejam criados e mantidos 830 postos de trabalho, sendo que 70% a 80% podem ser preenchidos por timorenses", refere o comunicado.

@Lusa

PF Q3 Report - "Incomes did not exceed expenses" is an unfair assessment

*Cosme da Costa Araujo

Lao Hamutuk and the Diplomat rightly pointed out that Petroleum Fund balance decreased in Q3, compared to Q2 balance. The decrease, as they mentioned, was due to foreign exchange losses and also transfer made to the State Budget.

But arguing that "FOR THE FIRST TIME, EAST TIMOR'S INCOME FROM OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS DID NOT EXCEED THE EXPENSES RELATED TO THE OIL FUND" is unfair.

It seems that their conclusion is based on the following calculation - petroleum revenues in Q3 ($522 mil) minus losses and transfers ($340+231), resulted in about negative $50 mil.

However, it is an unfair comparison in terms of the time period and not a true representation of the withdrawal. Ideally, the government should smooth the expenditure (withdrawal) over the year, by taking out $158 mil/quarter (of total ESI amount of $632 that is expected to be withdrawn in 2014).

The $340 mil amount mentioned here is the total amount the Government had withdrawn so far in 2014 from the Petroleum Fund, just half of the budgeted ESI amount. This amount happened to be a "lump sump" withdrawal in Q3 (as no withdrawals were made in Q1 & Q2). Q3 therefore is bearing the burden of the withdrawal.

To be fair, in term of period comparison, it is better to look at the-year-to-date (YTD) numbers. In doing so, we can see that even if the Government manages to withdraw total ESI amount ($632 mil) by the end of 2014, it is still less than the total revenue received for the year to date ($1,606 mil), not to mention revenues from investment return ($365 mil year to date).

The declining trend in revenue is something that the Government acknowledges publicly in its Annual Budget Book 1. According to that report revenues have peaked in 2012 and are expected to decline from 2013 onward until they cease in 2020 - 2022.