tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24682144688339466392024-03-27T06:36:04.345-07:00 Renova Timor Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-9787267523095491402017-12-03T17:25:00.000-08:002017-12-03T17:25:43.344-08:00Former Thai foreign minister, ASEAN chief Surin Pitsuwan dies at 68<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/kyodo_news" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"> </a></div>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/kyodo_news" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">KYODO</a><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/kyodo_news" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"> NEWS</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> - Nov 30, 2017 - 21:52 | </span><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">All</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, </span><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/world" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1512349599003_13807" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">World</a><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Former Thai Foreign Minister and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, who was one of his country's most charismatic and dynamic diplomats, died of a heart attack on Thursday, according to a fellow Democrat Party member. He was 68.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">According to Thepthai Senpong, Surin collapsed in the morning and was rushed to the city's Ramkhamhaeng Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Another source said he suffered cardiac arrest at home and could not be revived in ambulance.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A religious ceremony for Surin -- a Harvard-educated professor, ex-parliamentarian and Muslim who served as foreign minister of the predominantly Buddhist country from 1997 to 2001 -- will take place Friday at the mosque in Nonthaburi Province.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><img alt="[]" height="640" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1512349599003_13812" src="https://img.kyodonews.net/english/public/images/posts/b1d24c20c0f09f584321f2723f8bb8d6/image_l.jpeg" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" width="518" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called his death a great loss for Thailand.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, under whose premiership Surin headed up the Foreign Ministry, called his passing a great loss not only for the party but also for the nation and the world.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Surin, the son of an Islamic teacher, hailed from the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After studying political science at prestigious Thammasat University in Bangkok, he spent many years engaged in studies and research in the United States, receiving his M.A. in 1974 and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1982.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Surin began his academic career as a professor at Thammasat, where he taught for over a decade, while also working as a columnist for the Bangkok Post and The Nation, Thailand's two leading English-language dailies.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He entered the political arena in 1986 when he was elected as a Democrat member of the House of Representatives.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Moving to government, he served during the 1990s as Thailand's deputy foreign minister and foreign minister, initiating the policy of "flexible engagement" to deal with Myanmar after ASEAN accepted Myanmar into the group in 1997 amid condemnation from many countries about its abysmal human rights situation and military rule.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In 2008, he took the helm of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for a four-year term, during which he was widely recognized for his competence in spearheading ASEAN's humanitarian efforts after Myanmar was devastated by Cyclone Nargis that same year and in engaging in international efforts to restore law and order in East Timor.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">An official ASEAN statement distributed via social media expressed "sincere condolences" on the loss of Surin. "We are deeply saddened to know that Dr. Surin Pitsuwan passed away today. It is a big loss to Thailand and the ASEAN community," it said.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thai Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Busadee Santipitaks also mourned his loss, while praising him for having "played a key role in the conduct of Thailand's foreign policy."</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Since then, Surin had continued to be engaged in the promotion of regional integration, educational and political reform efforts in Thailand, and was a frequent speaker at various international conferences.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He was president of the Future Innovative Thailand Institute, which is connected to the Democratic Party.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Surin had long advocated ASEAN taking a role in containing or resolving regional conflicts, such as it did in Cambodia in the early and late 1990s, and East Timor in 1999, and in Aceh, Indonesia, in the early and late 2000s, to prevent them from escalating further.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In recent months, he had called on ASEAN to exercise "effective leadership" in dealing with the humanitarian catastrophe in Myanmar's Rakhine State and just across the border in Bangladesh to which more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees have fled violence since late August.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In an opinion piece published in the Bangkok Post on Sept. 6, he urged ASEAN to "act fast" to prevent the carnage from deteriorating and escalating into regional tensions. "The world is watching. ASEAN'S credibility and profile are hanging in the balance," he said.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nov 30, 2017 | </span><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/kyodo_news" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1512349599003_13815" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">KYODO NEWS</a></div>
<br />
<h1 id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1512349599003_13842" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></h1>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-70287446047970926182017-11-27T23:35:00.000-08:002017-11-27T23:35:00.605-08:00HIV - a silent killer at Timor-Leste's front door<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_17285" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<h1 id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_18469" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_18468" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;"><a href="http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/14934-timor-leste-does-not-promote-condoms-to-the-general-public" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_18467" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: transparent; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Timor-Leste does not Promote Condoms to the General Public</a></b></h1>
<dl id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_17284" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;"><dd id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_18466" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Published: 27 November 2017</dd><dd id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_17283" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Written by Paulina Quintão, TDW<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></dd></dl>
The government through the Ministry of Health (MH) made a decision to promote the International method of A and B (Abstinence and Be faithful) in its HIV/AIDS campaign activities to increase community awareness on the prevention of infections with the virus HIV, but not to promote method C (use of condom) to the general public.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />Government through the Ministry of Health (MH) made a decision to promote the International method of A and B.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />MH HIV/AIDS Focal Point Frederico Bosco of the ministry’s HIV/AIDS program, said the decision to change promoting condoms to self-control took place after several discussions with the National Council Combating HIV/AIDS, with religious organisations, government, agencies and relevant institutions that work in this area.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />Although he said the National Policy of the Ministry of Health is clear about promoting and distributing condoms as an alternative amongst at risk groups such as men-sex-men (MSM) and prostitutes, in the prevention of HIV, but not for the community in general.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />He added, distribution of condoms is made weekly to public facilities where sexual transition may take place, however this depends on the existing stocks.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />“This is an International Method, the implementation depends on the situation of each country and consultations by the Timor-Leste’s council with religious organisations, government and agency decisions,” he said by telephone.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />He acknowledged that there were pro’s and con’s about the change of decision to change ‘C’ from condoms to self-control, but that the main point is the decision was made by Timor-Leste.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />In relation to the stocks of condoms, currently the warehouse is out of stock and in the process of purchasing.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission Combating HIV/AIDS- Timor-Leste (KNKS-TL), Daniel Marçal said behavior change education is the solution to combating HIV in Timor-Leste, not condoms, because condoms are not 100% protection from the virus.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />"It can protect, although not 100%, this can be dangerous therefore, as a Timorese, I do not want to teach my people to use condoms when it is not a 100% protection from the virus," he said.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />He added from the start of 2010, Timor-Leste began to distribute and promote the usage of condoms but the reality shows the situation has increased, which indicated that condoms are not the only solution.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />He went on to say the commission does not ignore condoms and will still continue to talk about the use of condoms.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />The numbers of HIV cases are on the rise even after the decision was made to stop the promotion of condoms to the general community, however many people now have the knowledge though community awareness initiatives to go and have a HIV test.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />From the registered data, he said some 700 people are infected with the HIV virus through sexual relations, however the commission continues to provide education to everyone and about self-control in order to avoid the virus.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />On the other hand, a mother Georgina Ximenes said she received information about this virus through the national media, and still does not understand and feels the information is not clear, in particular the background and ways to implement prevention.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />"Information should be clear so we can understand and be clear to share with our children who are growing up," she said.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" />She also urged the commission to use simple language when raising community awareness, so parents can understand the information, as the communities have different backgrounds in terms of education and knowledge.<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_17285" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<a href="http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/14934-timor-leste-does-not-promote-condoms-to-the-general-public" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1511853908354_19679" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #338fe9; margin: 0px; outline: auto; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/14934-timor-leste-does-not-promote-condoms-to-the-general-public</a> <br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-41536525544741642782017-01-03T03:31:00.000-08:002017-01-03T03:31:10.497-08:00Samoan Insurance Company to operate in Timor-Leste<h2 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<b>Governor hails expansion by Samoa companies</b></h2>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">31 December 2016</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Governor of the Central Bank, Maiava Atalina Ainu’u-Enari, has praised the overseas expansion of two Samoan-backed companies in Timor Leste.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Governor of the Central Bank, Maiava Atalina Ainu’u-Enari, has praised the overseas expansion of two Samoan-backed companies in Timor Leste.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Speaking at the celebrations to mark the 15th anniversary of Pacific Holdings (Timor) operating the Western Union in Timor Leste and the official launch of a new General Insurance venture, Maiava said it was an “encouraging sign” for Samoa.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">“That a Samoan-backed Company can foster partnership with Timor Leste, and help another Pacific neighbour rise to its potential is something that I am proud of,” she said.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">“Pacific Holdings is this month celebrating 15 years. The company commenced service in 2001 with a single agent in Dili… that agency has grown into five locations in the capital and Districts.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> “The possibilities for Federal Insurance Timor to contribute to developing the financial services sector in Timor Leste was important,” she said.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> “The benefits are numerous as we have seen in Samoa in the last few years where recovery and rehabilitation following a tsunami and cyclones have been possible due to proper risk management measures taken by businesses or individuals before the event – in other words, when disaster struck, many people were able to get back to business and back to normal life because they were adequately insured.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Maiava was in Timor Leste for the annual Pacific Island Reserve Bank Governors Conference.</span>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-20269938769010063162016-12-30T18:07:00.000-08:002016-12-30T18:07:09.285-08:00TLGov: 2016, a year of action <h2 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<b>2016, a Year of Action</b></h2>
<a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2016-a-Year-of-Action2.pdf" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Download</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=17028&print=1&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Print</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br />
<div align="center" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">
<b>Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and<br /></b></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste<br /></b><br />
<div align="center" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">
<b> </b>Dili, December 30th, 2016<br /><br /><b>2016 a Year of Action<br /></b></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">As 2016 draws to a close the Government reflects on a year of action and looks forward to 2017 with commitment and confidence.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">This year the Sixth Constitutional Government has remained focused on delivering the services, policy and legislation needed to fulfill its Program and continue Timor-Leste’s development journey set out in the</span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Strategic-Development-Plan_EN.pdf" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Government Program recognizes that “the true wealth of any nation is in the strength of its people” and that “maximizing the overall health, education and quality of life of the Timorese people is central to building a fair and progressive society.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">In 2016 the roll out of the Family Health Program has been an outstanding success with families interviewed across the nation and registration already </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=17016&n=1&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">fully completed in the municipality of Aileu</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">. The Tobacco Control Regime, </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=15534&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">promulgated in June</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">and lauded by the World Health Organization as “a path-breaking example for developing countries”, is now being implemented. In the field of education, 2016 saw the </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16206&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">expansion of Secondary Technical-Vocational Education</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> to enable more students gain technical skills that prepare them for the labor market.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Government has continued to deliver on its program to encourage economic diversification by focusing on productive areas of the economy, building and improving essential economic infrastructure, and addressing industry, financing and trade constraints.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">This year the </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16438&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Mining Code</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> and </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16972&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">General Forestry Regime</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> were approved and the Draft Tourism Policy released for comment. Tourism came ‘online’, literally, with the launch of the Government’s website</span><a href="http://www.timorleste.tl/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">www.timorleste.tl</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">and the development of an international marketing campaign.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">In December Timor-Leste </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16969&n=1&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">progressed in its candidature for membership of the World Trade Organization</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> when it was granted observer status, prompting ASEAN to applaud “Timor-Leste’s commitment to the WTO accession process, and its efforts to undertake social and economic reforms to this end.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">In October the World Bank, who along with the Government stress the</span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16765&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">importance of developing our domestic economy and supporting economic diversification</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">, reported that the Government’s “reform efforts are beginning to show results, with a pipeline of Foreign Direct Investment emerging” and said that “In 2016 and 2017, domestic growth is expected to continue in a similar range as the last two years, with growth forecast at 5.0 and 5.5 percent, respectively.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Regarding this Foreign Direct Investment, the Heineken beverage plant based in Hera was completed on time with the first brew placed in fermentation tanks on the 20</span><sup style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">th</sup><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> of November and the TL Cement facility based in Baucau, which will produce cement clinker base for export and cement for domestic supply, is moving toward the construction phase.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">In terms of international relations and foreign policy 2016 has been a milestone year. In October </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16641&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Timor-Leste transferred the Presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries [CPLP]</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> to Brazil after a successful role leading the organization since July 2014. The first ever</span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=14592&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> Global Economic Forum of the CPLP</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> was held in Díli in February bringing delegations from over 20 countries and presenting opportunities for CPLP countries to develop business in the Asia Pacific region. The process of Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN continued with the consolidation of national readiness and participation in the ASEAN Regional Forum and other regional and global meetings. In August Timor-Leste also hosted the ASEAN Civil Society Conference / ASEAN People’s Forum 2016.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">This year the Government of Timor-Leste made important progress in its work to establish maritime boundaries with our neighbours Indonesia and Australia. During his </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=14364&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">official visit</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> to Timor-Leste in January, the President of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Joko Widodo, reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to “accelerate the completion of border negotiations” with maritime boundary negotiations to initially focus on waters to the north of Timor-Leste and then move to the south.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">In April the Government of Timor-Leste initiated a </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=14978&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">United Nations Compulsory Conciliation process</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> with Australia to assist the resolution of maritime boundaries, and after overcoming jurisdictional challenges the process is now well underway with meetings in October being described as “very productive” and signaling that both parties “should aim to reach agreement within the timeframe of the conciliation process” to be concluded in September 2017.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Whilst many challenges remain for Timor-Leste, 2016 gave rise to a number of long-term reports that showed how far we have come and what we can be proud of achieving.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">In September the World Economic Forum reported that our country had been ranked in the top ten countries to have made the most progress converting economic growth into wellbeing over the period 2006 to 2014. In October a </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16239&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">major study published</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> in the medical journal the Lancet and launched at the United Nations rated Timor-Leste as the most improved of 188 nations in the health-related Sustainable Development Goals index for the period 2000-2015.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Other reports are confirming that our people are healthier and living longer. The World Health Organization in 2014 rated Timor-Leste as one of the top six countries in the world for making the greatest progress in improving life expectancy between 1990 and 2012. The 1990 figure of 50 years had risen to 66 years by 2012 and according to the WHO, is now approaching 70 years in 2016.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">These are significant achievements!</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">As 2017 approaches we are confident that with the </span><a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=16926&lang=en" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">General State Budget unanimously approved</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> and promulgated, the recent experience of orderly local elections conducted across the nation, and our consistent and sustained environment of peace and stability, the upcoming 2017 Presidential and Parliamentary elections will be an overwhelming success.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Government Spokesperson, Minister of State Agio Pereira noted “the Government, ever conscious of its responsibilities to the people of Timor-Leste, has worked hard to deliver results based on its Program. This year has been marked by achievements which position the country well going into 2017. Whilst acknowledging there is always more to do, the Government takes this opportunity to congratulate all for their efforts to develop and build the nation and to reaffirm our confidence in the people of Timor-Leste and the future of our nation.” </span><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">ENDS</b>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-25769229404659352322016-12-17T04:15:00.001-08:002016-12-17T04:15:34.714-08:00Seasonal Worker Program increases by 33 per cent across Northern Territory <h1 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-size: 17px;">By </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/daniel-fitzgerald/5801796" style="font-size: 17px;">Daniel Fitzgerald</a></h1>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-27/seasonal-workers-from-timor-leste-fill-backpacker-void/7971054">RELATED STORY:</a></b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-27/seasonal-workers-from-timor-leste-fill-backpacker-void/7971054" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Seasonal workers fill backpacker void on NT mango farm</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-09/seasonal-workers-swap-east-timor-for-east-kimberley/7481378">RELATED STORY:</a></b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-09/seasonal-workers-swap-east-timor-for-east-kimberley/7481378" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Seasonal workers swap East Timor for East Kimberley</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-11/backpacker-tax-growers-look-to-pacific-seasonal-worker-program/7237976">RELATED STORY:</a></b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-11/backpacker-tax-growers-look-to-pacific-seasonal-worker-program/7237976" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Growers look to Pacific Seasonal Worker Program because of backpacker tax</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://www.google.com/maps/place/Katherine%200850/@-14.4666,132.2623,5z">MAP: </a></b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><a href="http://www.google.com/maps/place/Katherine%200850/@-14.4666,132.2623,5z" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Katherine 0850</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Northern Territory farmers are increasingly turning to workers from the Pacific Islands and East Timor to fill their labour demands.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Horticulture farms across the Northern Territory have this year employed 33 per cent more workers through the Seasonal Worker Program than last year.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Around 398 workers from 10 countries have been employed to pick fruit across 12 farms.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The NT Farmers Association said the increase was partly due to the uncertainty created by the debate around the </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-02/backpacker-tax-passes-farmers-reaction/8086230" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">backpacker tax</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Farmers in the Katherine region </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-11/backpacker-tax-growers-look-to-pacific-seasonal-worker-program/7237976" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">told ABC Rural earlier this year</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> they saw workers from the Pacific Islands and East Timor as a more reliable source of labour.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">For mango and citrus grower Sevenfields, labour from the Pacific Islands are preferred over backpackers.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Harvest supervisor at the company's Katherine farm, Emma Harrison said having previous staff return for subsequent harvests was an advantage.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br />
<dl style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><dd>"We want people that can come back for the next five years, that are going to be experienced, they are going to know what to do year in, year out," Ms Harrison said.<br /></dd></dl>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"We try not to use backpackers as much as we can, for the fact that they are not as reliable as [the Solomon Islanders]; they are here for six months, they do the mangoes and follow through with the citrus later on.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"Backpackers aren't willing to hang around for that time, and they will never come back the year after."</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br />
<h3 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<b><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/resolution-to-backpacker-tax-relief-for-fruit-vegetable-sector/8064188">Growers come to terms with backpacker tax debate</a></b></h3>
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/resolution-to-backpacker-tax-relief-for-fruit-vegetable-sector/8064188" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><img alt="[]" src="http://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/8086406/data/backpacker-tax-data.jpg" /></a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/resolution-to-backpacker-tax-relief-for-fruit-vegetable-sector/8064188" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The backpacker tax debate has had a huge effect on the horticulture industry, with much of Australia's fruit and vegetables brought to customers by teams of seasonal workers.</a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Sevenfields is now employing 29 Solomon Islanders directly, instead of through a labour-hire company.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ms Harrison said the arrangement was better for both the company and the workers.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"We can manage where they stay, what they are getting paid, it reduces the cost on us because with a contractor you have to pay [more]," she said.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ms Harrison said the men from the Solomon Islanders were quick to learn about mango harvesting.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br />
<dl style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><dd>"They are all really passionate about learning how and why we do things on the farm," she said.<br /></dd></dl>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"It is great that they put some care and passion into the fruit. They understand it takes 11 months to grow mangoes, and then for them to pick it in a four-week period is quite quick, and they take the care, which brings out better mangoes."</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br />
<h2 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<b>Wage a drawcard for Pacific Islanders</b></h2>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">One of the Solomon Islander's working at Sevenfield's farm for five months is Brian Steward.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">He said the $1,000 he can earn in a week in Australia would take him around seven months to earn in the Solomon Islands.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">With the money he earns in Australia, he planned to help his family.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"We are going to start a little [business] for ourselves, that is what I am here for, to earn money and go back to do something for my family," Mr Steward said.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">He was keen to return to Katherine for the next mango harvest.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"If Sevenfields ask me to come back I would love to come back," he said.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Fellow worker Alex Aubela, said there were many people in the Solomon Islands who wanted to come pick fruit in Australia.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"It is pretty hard to find jobs back at home, here it is much easier to earn a lot of money than back home," he said.</span>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-26501544598395135552016-12-10T18:00:00.000-08:002016-12-10T18:00:31.731-08:002017 Timor-Leste State Budget approved unanimously <div align="center" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">
<b>Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and<br /></b></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste<br /></b><br />
<div align="center" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">
<b> </b>Dili, December 9th, 2016<br /><br /><b>2017 General State Budget Approved Unanimously in Final Vote<br /></b></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">On the 9</span><sup style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">th</sup><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> of December National Parliament voted unanimously to give final approval to the 2017 General State Budget with 60 votes in favor, none against and no abstentions. The approved Budget has an estimated total expenditure of $1,386.8 million, with the main categories of expenses as Salaries and Wages $209.7 million, Goods and Services $395 million, Public Transfers $421 million, Minor Capital $12.1 million and Capital Development [including the Infrastructure Fund and loans] $349 million.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Speaking after the final vote Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo, thanked all members of National Parliament for “the democratic and constructive way in which the 2017 General State Budget was debated” and noted that for the Government the unanimous vote “represents a vote of confidence which the Sixth Constitutional Government, until the last day of its work, will want to honor, working with even more commitment to the People and the Nation."</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">During its passage through National Parliament the Budget was considered in generality and approved unanimously on the 25</span><sup style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">th</sup><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> of November. After presenting questions and debating issues, Members tabled approximately 80 proposed amendments that were considered by the ‘Eventual Commission for the Collection and Analysis of Proposals for Amendments to the Draft Law’. The Prime Minister observed that National Parliament’s decision to set up the Commission lead to “frank and democratic” discussion and the accommodation of many proposed amendments “without compromising the tax ceiling initially established and without distorting the Government’s commitments regarding the implementation of projects, programs and activities proposed for 2017.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Prior to the final unanimous vote on the 9</span><sup style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">th</sup><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> of December, the Budget was discussed in the Plenary and voted on in detail, with analysis of each article of the proposed draft law. The 2017 General State Budget Law will now be presented to the President of the Republic, H.E. Taur Matan Ruak, for promulgation.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Closing the National Parliament’s final session concerning the 2017 General State Budget, the Prime Minister reiterated the Government’s “commitment to carry out the program of its mandate” with its focus on measures “to make the non-oil economy more dynamic and to increase the sustainability of national development.” </span><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">ENDS</b>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-15674889764329893152016-11-17T22:58:00.000-08:002016-11-17T22:58:48.258-08:00Timor-Leste’s economic outlook positive as reforms begin to show results<h2 id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_1937">
<br /></h2>
<div align="center" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_2695">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_2694">Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and<br /></b></div>
<b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_2697"> Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste<br /></b><br />
<div align="center" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_2696">
<b> </b>Dili, November 17th, 2016<br /><br /><b>Timor-Leste’s economic outlook positive as reforms begin to show results<br /></b></div>
Recent reports by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, along with analysis contained within the <a href="https://www.mof.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Final_BB1_English.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Draft 2017 State Budget Overview</i></a>, have identified positive trends in Timor-Leste’s short-term economic outlook. Low inflation, the positive impact of infrastructure development and benefits beginning to flow from the Government’s reform efforts are cited as contributing factors.<br /><br /> The World Bank’s <a href="http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/688771478677147187/Econ-Update-Main-Report-English.pdf" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_2826" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479452101298_2825">East Asia and Pacific Economic Update</i></a><i> </i>published on the 4<sup>th</sup> of October 2016<i> </i>observes “Timor-Leste is facing an outlook starkly different to its recent past. Previously one of the most oil-dependent countries in the world, it could become a post-oil country in as little as five years’ time”. While emphasizing the importance of developing the domestic economy and supporting economic diversification, the report notes that the Government’s “reform efforts are beginning to show results, with a pipeline of Foreign Direct Investment emerging” and says “In 2016 and 2017, domestic growth is expected to continue in a similar range as the last two years, with growth forecast at 5.0 and 5.5 percent, respectively.”<br /><br />The International Monetary Fund’s Press Release <a href="http://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2016/11/07/PR16492-Timor-Leste-IMF-Concludes-Staff-Visit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>IMF Concludes Staff Visit to Timor-Leste</i></a><i> </i>of the 7<sup>th</sup> of November 2016 said that “Economic “activity in Timor-Leste is expanding at a satisfactory pace, and is likely to maintain the momentum into next year” and goes on to say that “the near-term outlook remains generally favorable with a continuing non-oil growth recovery accompanied by low inflation.” The team lead by the IMF’s Ms. Yu Ching Wong also said that financial soundness indicators had improved within the banking system and welcomed “the steady progress in implementing the Financial Sector Master Plan aimed at raising financial inclusion and safeguarding financial stability.”<br /><br />The <a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?cat=39&lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Government’s Program</i></a> recognizes that “it is urgent we diversify our economy” which is why it focuses on “expanding and modernizing the agriculture sector, building a thriving tourism sector, encouraging much higher levels of private sector activity and activating industries, including the growth and expansion of small and micro businesses.” It is also why the Government is working to improve economic infrastructure and to address industry, financing and trade constraints.<br /><br /> The draft 2017 State Budget Overview analyses Timor-Leste’s economic performance over recent years and quotes final figures from 2014 which show that the non-petroleum sector accounted for 39% of Timor-Leste’s real Gross Domestic Product [GDP] and that real non-oil GDP grew by 5.9%. It says there was an increase in household consumption of 9.8% and private sector investment growth of 17.3%. The Overview also highlights the improvement of domestic revenue receipts from tax revenues, fees and charges, interest and revenues from autonomous agencies. Domestic revenues are forecast to increase by 4.3% in 2017 due to improvements in Government Services and collection.<br /><br /> Government Spokesperson, Minister of State Agio Pereira noted that “the Government welcomes the report of the World Bank and the Press Release of the IMF team which present a favorable short-term economic outlook for Timor-Leste and recognize the positive results of Government policy. It continues to be a top priority of Government to do all it can to encourage conditions for private sector growth and economic diversification through the provision of basic economic infrastructure, the removal of constraints and the implementation of reforms that are supporting enhanced economic activity.”<b>ENDS</b>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-978707781702096542016-11-09T08:09:00.000-08:002016-11-09T08:09:18.353-08:00Timor-Leste Welcomes WTO Accession Delegation Visit<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"Timor-Leste Welcomes WTO Accession Delegation Visit"</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8 Nov, Dili— The Government of Timor-Leste has concluded the first day of a two-day visit between the Government and delegates from the World Trade Organisation Accession team. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The WTO delegation has come to Timor-Leste to discuss Timor-Leste’s application to be member of WTO. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">According to the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, “Accession to WTO is in line with the Government’s plans to strengthen and grow the economy through strategic investments in potential sectors. WTO membership is also another important step to cementing our sovereignty.” </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Minister of State, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Eng. Estanislau da Silva, said “Joining the WTO is critical to ensuring that Timor-Leste can diversify its economy in commerce, industry and agriculture for exports and access to markets. This is important to create jobs and improve the well being of the population. We need investments to increase exports in all sectors and WTO membership will greatly facilitate export of Timorese goods and services as well as trade with other countries.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Environment, Constâncio da Conceição Pinto, said “I am happy to receive the mission and concretely work towards the accession process.”</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">For further information</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">, please contact Mr. Oscar Salsinha on</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span><a href="tel:77273161" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">77273161</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">_____________________</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"Timor-Leste Hato Benvindu ba Visita Delegasaun Adesaun OMC"</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8 Novembru, Díli – Guvernu Timor-Leste ramata ona atividade loron primeiru relasiona ho visita delegasaun Organizasaun Mundial Komersiu (OMC) mai Timor-Leste duranti loron rua nia laran. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Delegasaun ne’e mai Timor-Leste atu koalia konaba pedidu Timor-Leste sai membru OMC. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Tuir Ministru Planeamentu no Investimentu Estratéjiku, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão katak “Adesaun ba OMC alinha ho Guvernu nia planu atu haforsa no haburas ekonomia liu hosi investimentu estratéjiku iha setor potensial sira. Nudar membru OMC mos hanesan hakat importante ida atu haforsa ita nia soberania”.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ministru Estadu, Koordenador ba Asuntu Ekonomiku, no Ministru Agrikultura no Peska, Eng. Estanislau da Silva hateten mos katak: “Sai nudar membru OMC importante tebes atu fo serteza katak Timor-Leste bele mos diversifika nia ekonomia iha komersiu, industria no agrikultura ba exportasaun no asesu ba merkadu. Ne’e importante atu kria empregu no hadi’a ema nia moris. Ita persiza investimentu atu aumenta esportasaun iha setor hotu-hotu no nudar membru OMC sei fasilita tebtebes esportasaun produtu no serbisu Timor nian inklui mos komersiu ho nasaun seluk”.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Ministru Komersiu, Industria no Meiu Ambienti, Constâncio da Conceição Pinto, hateten: “Hau kontenti simu delegasaun ida ne’e no sei esforsa atu suporta prosesu adesaun”.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Karik persiza informasaun klaru liutan, favour kontaktu Sr. Oscar Salsinha, <a href="tel:77273161" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">77273161</a>.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">____________</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">"Timor-Leste acolhe a delegação técnica de Adesão à OMC"</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">8 de Novembro, Díli – O Governo de Timor-Leste concluiu o primeiro dia de uma visita de dois dias entre o Governo e os delegados da Equipa Técnica de Adesão da Organização Mundial do Comércio.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">A delegação da OMC chegou a Timor-Leste para discutir a candidatura de Timor-Leste à OMC.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">De acordo com o Ministro do Planeamento e Investimentos Estratégico, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, "a adesão à OMC está em linha com os planos do governo de fortalecer e crescer a economia através de investimentos estratégicos em setores potenciais. A adesão à OMC é também outro passo importante para consolidar nossa soberania ".</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">O Ministro de Estado, Coordenador dos Assuntos Económicos e Ministro da Agricultura e Pescas, Eng. Estanislau da Silva, disse: "A adesão à OMC é fundamental para assegurar que Timor-Leste possa diversificar a sua economia no comércio, na indústria e na agricultura para as exportações e acesso aos mercados. Isso é importante para criar empregos e melhorar o bem-estar da população. Precisamos de investimentos para aumentar as exportações em todos os setores e a adesão à OMC facilitará muito a exportação de bens e serviços timorenses, bem como o comércio com outros países ".</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">O ministro do Comércio, Indústria e Ambiente, Dr. Constâncio da Conceição Pinto, disse: "Expresso a minha satisfação em receber a missão e trabalhar concretamente no processo de adesão".</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Para mais informações, queira p.f. entrar em contato com o Sr. Oscar Salsinha, pelo Telemóvel 77.273.161.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">[This message was distributed via the east-timor news list. For info on how to subscribe to this and other ETAN e-mail lists, send a blank e-mail to <a href="mailto:info@etan.org" x-apple-data-detectors-result="6" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors="true">info@etan.org</a>. To support ETAN see <a href="http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm" x-apple-data-detectors-result="7" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors="true">http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm</a> ]</span>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-78913018452238735442016-10-21T01:18:00.000-07:002016-10-21T01:18:21.721-07:00After court ruling, Australia and East Timor discuss maritime boundary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1477037280916_19188" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1477037280916_19187" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">After court ruling, Australia and East Timor discuss maritime boundary</b></h1>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Australia and East Timor aim for an agreement over the disputed maritime boundary in resource-rich waters between their countries, a court said on Thursday, signaling a deal could be reached by next September.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Confidential meetings between the two countries have been "very productive" and would continue next year, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said in a statement.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The court ordered compulsory arbitration in the case last month after East Timor requested the process against objections from Australia, which negotiated a revenue sharing agreement that gave it until 2056 to settle the boundary issue.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Australia played a critical role in East Timor's independence from Indonesia in 2002 and shortly after that negotiated the revenue sharing deal for the large Greater Sunrise oil and gas field. East Timor calls the deal unfair.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"All agreed we should aim to reach agreement within the timeframe of the conciliation process," the court said, referring to the compulsory arbitration. That process has a deadline of Sept. 19, 2017.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"I was very pleased to see a sincere willingness on both sides to come together in a spirit of cooperation," said Peter Taksoe-Jensen, who headed the arbitration talks.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Both sides are to be commended for being willing to move beyond past differences and work hard to create conditions conducive to achieving an agreement."</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">East Timor appealed to the court for the arbitration that could determine the border through the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field. It has said that Australian espionage on its diplomats rendered recent agreements on it flawed.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">East Timor says the boundary should fall halfway between it and Australia, which had argued that defining the border that way could prompt Indonesia to also seek to shift its sea border and gain ownership of disputed oil fields.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Greater Sunrise contains an estimated 5.1 trillion cubic feet of gas and 226 million barrels of condensate, although the border dispute and low gas prices mean its development is on hold.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Reporting By Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Tom Heneghan)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-9193269908058827312016-10-10T03:28:00.000-07:002016-10-10T03:30:53.825-07:00Investel head confirms bid for Timor Telecom stake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_25026" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 13px;">Thursday 6 October 2016 | 17:28 CET | News</span></h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGSxMY3scpsigd5b4zJwYTH95VbXVFB-Gw6-FwOh_tzOcuv77nu9gbsEqgZqr6Tffd7aSDAzRuDpy5h7lOWFGVBvr0l23CnDNwgdoD0F2QMvCSnNKSoCfGu1a_4MGXzfyQlRPKCATt1k/s1600/TT.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGSxMY3scpsigd5b4zJwYTH95VbXVFB-Gw6-FwOh_tzOcuv77nu9gbsEqgZqr6Tffd7aSDAzRuDpy5h7lOWFGVBvr0l23CnDNwgdoD0F2QMvCSnNKSoCfGu1a_4MGXzfyQlRPKCATt1k/s400/TT.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Timorese businessman Abilio Araujo confirmed to Lusa that the Investel group he heads presented a "firm and binding" bid for the purchase of Oi's stake in Timor Telecom. "As CEO of Investel I believe in the success of our proposal, the amount offered, strongly supported by equity and bank guarantee," he added. The Investel group is one of three candidates to purchase Oi's stake in Timor Telecom, alongside the ETO Group, Timorese businessman Nilton Gusmao, and a Fiji-based pension fund, according to the latest reports.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.telecompaper.com/news/investel-head-confirms-bid-for-timor-telecom-stake--1165943" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_26196" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #338fe9; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: auto; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.telecompaper.com/news/investel-head-confirms-bid-for-timor-telecom-stake--1165943</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-91241628493484813752016-10-10T03:03:00.000-07:002016-10-10T03:03:11.690-07:00Government Congratulates António Guterres<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_12719" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste</b></div>
<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_12719" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></b><br />
<div align="center" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_12737" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_12739" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;"> </b>Dili, October 8th, 2016<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /><b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476092027472_12738" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;"><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Timor-Leste congratulates H.E. António Guterres and Portugal on the announcement of his acceptance of the unanimous nomination of the United Nations Security Council to become the next United Nations Secretary-General.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mr. Guterres was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. He is held in great esteem by the Timorese people as a champion of our struggle for self-determination and a constant advocate for our Nation’s democracy, peace, stability and progress. He visited Timor-Leste for the first time in 2000, and subsequently in 2002 to be part of the ceremony of the Restoration of Independence.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The United Nations Security Council is recommending that the 193 Member States appoint him for a five-year term beginning 1 January 2017. A meeting of the General Assembly expected to take place next week to approve the appointment.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Over the years Mr. Guterres has expressed that the cause of the Timorese people has been “one of the most important causes in my political life” and has advocated for all to “work together to help this small country to be able to face its future with hope and with success.”</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The appointment of Mr. Guterres will see him take over the leadership of the UN from Mr. Ban Ki-moon who has served two terms as the Secretary-General. Prime Minister Araújo recently expressed at the General Assembly “our deepest appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for all the support that Timor-Leste has received during his 10 years in office.”</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Government Spokesperson, Minister of State Agio Pereira noted that “the people of Timor-Leste have great affection for António Guterres and warmly congratulate him on his nomination. We also congratulate Portugal. Mr. Guterres is a uniquely qualified individual for what will be a demanding time as Secretary–General when the organization is facing unprecedented global challenges. Timor-Leste is delighted to hear of his nomination and reassured that this important leadership role is to be taken on by a person with such intellect, experience and integrity.”</span><b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ENDS</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-27714721022650596462016-10-09T06:58:00.000-07:002016-10-09T06:58:42.142-07:00When Will Timor-Leste Join ASEAN?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476009199575_19427" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 13px;">A look at where the country’s admission to the regional grouping stands.</span></h1>
<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">By </span><a href="http://thediplomat.com/authors/prashanth-parameswaran/" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1476009199575_19432" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Prashanth Parameswaran</a><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">October 06, 2016 </span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As ASEAN approaches the commemoration of its 50th anniversary next year, one of the key things to watch will be the organization’s progress in admitting an eleventh member: Timor-Leste. With Dili’s admission gaining traction over the past few years, it is worth looking more closely at the dynamics at play.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Expansion in ASEAN<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Expansion is far from a new thing in ASEAN. Indeed, the ten-member regional grouping began with only five founding countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – signing the Bangkok Declaration in the Thai capital on August 8, 1967. Brunei joined ASEAN in 1984 after resuming full independence, followed by Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (the so-called CLMV countries) in the 1990s.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nor has it been without controversy. Indeed, as I repeatedly emphasize to outside observers overly fixated on divisions within the grouping on issues like the South China Sea, a key source of these differences lies in ASEAN’s decision to admit new members in 1990s despite concerns raised at the time ranging from these countries’ limited capacity to how they would slow regional integration. As ASEAN has taken some bold steps in its evolution as an institution in the years that followed – from the signing of the ASEAN Charter in 2007 to the formal declaration of an ASEAN Community in 2015 – we have seen both the benefits and the costs of its enlargement.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Timor-Leste Case<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Little wonder, then, that when Timor-Leste expressed its desire to join ASEAN soon after its independence in 2002, it was greeted with initial caution from several of the grouping’s members. Though there were in fact several different concerns, the dominant one was all-too-familiar: that Dili’s capacity was limited and that its admission now could further complicate community-building efforts.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Over the years since, however, ASEAN members have all accepted the idea of Timor-Leste’s eventual admission into ASEAN. The main hurdle was cleared back in 2011, when Indonesia agreed to support this during its chairmanship under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. But even those previously hesitant about Dili’s membership, most notably Singapore, have gradually been warming to the notion, even though there continue to be differences as to how soon this should occur.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Process-wise, Timor-Leste’s accession is now all but assured. The feasibility studies commissioned on the impact of Dili’s admission on each of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community – the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community – have now all been completed. Dili has also established embassies in all ASEAN capitals and improved its ability to host ASEAN meetings and summits in recent years.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A case in point was Timor-Leste’s recent hosting of the ASEAN People’s Forum (APF). Though this was the product of Laos’ disappointing, if unsurprising, reluctance to host a regular meeting of Southeast Asian civil society organizations as ASEAN chair, Dili’s successful hosting of the meeting has been a boost for its admission as well.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Road Ahead<br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The key question now is when exactly admission will occur. The next holders of the ASEAN chair, which rotates annually, are the Philippines in 2017 and Singapore in 2018. Manila could push things further next year, especially given the close ties between the two countries. But should Dili not cross the finish line by the end of 2017, that means it may have to wait till 2018 for Singapore’s chairmanship. The city-state had been the main holdout in approving Dili’s accession.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But regional factors are hardly the only ones that will shape Timor-Leste’s admission into ASEAN. Domestically, the country is set for elections next year. Even though we are still months away from polls, some are already worrying about either a return to political bickering or the domination of a national unity government without a meaningful opposition. While it is certainly true that many current ASEAN members have democracy woes of their own, democratic backsliding in Timor-Leste could nonetheless end up coloring perceptions about its admission.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In the meantime, it will be interesting to watch how Dili is gradually eased into ASEAN. One marker of that, for example, is the extent to which it is allowed to attend ASEAN meetings, and the nature of the engagements it is involved in. Though the ASEAN chairman’s statement following the latest round of summitry in September noted that “a number of sectoral bodies” have been exploring the possibility of Timor-Leste participating in their activities, a source familiar with the process noted that there have been disagreements about how this will actually play out.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It should also be noted that, as with previous new ASEAN admissions, the issues surrounding Timor-Leste’s entry into the regional grouping will continue to play out years after it joins. As other cases have shown, beyond the rhetoric of an ever-expanding ASEAN family, the widening of the regional tent has brought the grouping its fair share of challenges, whether it be its increased exposure to great power rivalry, additional problems with respect to democracy and human rights, or even the ability of new members to host the meetings central to advancing its work.</span><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-45008591832244520502016-06-01T18:13:00.000-07:002016-06-01T22:00:34.501-07:00Governo timorense assina na sexta-feira primeiro grande projeto de PPP para Porto de Tibar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="title" itemprop="headline">
Governo timorense assina na sexta-feira primeiro grande projeto de PPP para Porto de Tibar</h1>
<div class="header space">
<ul class="about ">
</ul>
</div>
<div class="category economia">
O Governo timorense anunciou hoje que assina na sexta-feira o contrato para a construção e gestão do Porto de Tibar, avaliado em 400 milhões de dólares e que constitui a primeira parceria público-privada (PPP) de grande dimensão do país.</div>
<div class="category economia">
<br /></div>
<span class="thumb bottom-space placeholder-16-9"><img alt="Governo timorense assina na sexta-feira primeiro grande projeto de PPP para Porto de Tibar" class="lazyload-item" data-layout-src="large" src="http://thumbs.web.sapo.io/?epic=MWJkq/q6NWxc6XvdJ/MNvI0WclCNCUVZxJibdkVlVFQ2rjc5OtTHyr0XCrOzRNJ9IIBd3Uli1GseojS4+KXVSBNNyiJ+LH9rt+lhghZbyanhfqE=&crop=center&tv=2&errorpic=transparent&delay_optim=1&W=960&H=540&Q=70&bgcolor=ffffff" data-size-large="http://thumbs.web.sapo.io/?epic=MWJkq/q6NWxc6XvdJ/MNvI0WclCNCUVZxJibdkVlVFQ2rjc5OtTHyr0XCrOzRNJ9IIBd3Uli1GseojS4+KXVSBNNyiJ+LH9rt+lhghZbyanhfqE=&crop=center&tv=2&errorpic=transparent&delay_optim=1&W=960&H=540&Q=70&bgcolor=ffffff" data-size-medium="http://thumbs.web.sapo.io/?epic=MWJkq/q6NWxc6XvdJ/MNvI0WclCNCUVZxJibdkVlVFQ2rjc5OtTHyr0XCrOzRNJ9IIBd3Uli1GseojS4+KXVSBNNyiJ+LH9rt+lhghZbyanhfqE=&crop=center&tv=2&errorpic=transparent&delay_optim=1&W=960&H=540&Q=70&bgcolor=ffffff" data-size-small="http://thumbs.web.sapo.io/?epic=MWJkq/q6NWxc6XvdJ/MNvI0WclCNCUVZxJibdkVlVFQ2rjc5OtTHyr0XCrOzRNJ9IIBd3Uli1GseojS4+KXVSBNNyiJ+LH9rt+lhghZbyanhfqE=&crop=center&tv=2&errorpic=transparent&delay_optim=1&W=640&H=360&Q=70&bgcolor=ffffff" /></span><br />
<div class="hide-all">
<br /></div>
<div class="article-text horizontal-space bottom-space tiny-double-bottom-space">
<div class="clearfix" data-kpi="artigo_1,external,body">
<div itemprop="articleBody">
Segundo informou o gabinete do ministro das Obras Públicas, Transportes e Comunicações, Gastão da Silva, o contrato com a francesa Bolloré Consortium vai ser assinado na sexta-feira em Díli.<br />
<br />
<br />
Dados do contrato foram analisados em novembro do ano passado pelo executivo que aprovou o decreto-lei que define as condições do contrato que funcionará em modelo de parceria público-privada, como explicou na altura aos jornalistas o primeiro-ministro, Rui Maria de Araújo.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
O concurso para a construção do Porto de Tibar foi ganho pela empresa francesa Bolloré Consortium, que ficou mais bem classificada do que a única outra concorrente, a inglesa Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (POSNCO), subsidiária da DP World, do Dubai.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Esta primeira parceria público-privada (PPP) timorense prevê a construção e gestão durante 30 anos do Porto de Tibar, orçado em 400 milhões de dólares (344 milhões de euros), e inclui a construção de uma estrada entre Díli e Tibar, de um molhe, de instalações em terra e de sistemas de drenagem.<br />
Segundo o executivo, o novo porto terá capacidade para um milhão de toneladas por ano e com possibilidade de receber embarcações comerciais e de passageiros. <br />
<br />
<br />
O projeto é polémico não apenas pelo custo, mas também pela localização, uma baía a oeste da capital timorense, com os críticos a defenderem que a alternativa ao congestionado Porto de Díli deveria ser o Porto de Hera, atualmente usado pelo componente naval das Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste (FDTL).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
O executivo considera o projeto "uma prioridade para a futura prosperidade económica de Timor-Leste" e um dos "maiores projetos de investimento do país com uma parte significativa investida pela empresa vencedora".<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
O Porto da Baía de Tibar será "financiado em parte através do Fundo de Infraestruturas e em parte através de empréstimos concessionais a conceder pelo Banco Mundial, Banco Europeu de Investimento, Banco Asiático de Desenvolvimento (BAD) e outros parceiros multilaterais".<br />
<br />
<br />
Futuras PPP estão pensadas para o Sistema de Abastecimento de Água em Díli - o Conselho de Ministros já analisou um estudo final de pré-viabilidade e o estudo de viabilidade está previsto para o início de 2016.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
O projeto estreia em Timor-Leste o modelo de PPP, que será alargado progressivamente aos setores de transportes, energia, saúde e água, como nota a proposta de Orçamento do Estado para o próximo ano.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
O Governo está também a avaliar uma eventual PPP para a gestão, operação e manutenção das duas centrais elétricas construídas em Hera e Betano. Por outro lado, está a analisar "possíveis parcerias com o setor privado na área da saúde", referem os textos orçamentais de 2016.<br />
<br />
ASP // VM<br />
Lusa/Fim<br />
<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://24.sapo.pt/article/lusa-sapo-pt_2016_05_31_1700208035_governo-timorense-assina-na-sexta-feira-primeiro-grande-projeto-de-ppp-para-porto-de-tibar">http://24.sapo.pt/article/lusa-sapo-pt_2016_05_31_1700208035_governo-timorense-assina-na-sexta-feira-primeiro-grande-projeto-de-ppp-para-porto-de-tibar</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-59077798640244503872016-02-02T20:15:00.000-08:002016-02-02T20:15:05.163-08:00Bollore transport and logistics to built Tibar Port<div class="post-headline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<h1 style="font-size: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Bolloré Transport & Logistics group to build port in Timor-Leste</h1>
</div>
<div class="post-byline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #999999; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin: 5px 0px 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">
FEBRUARY 2ND, 2016 <img alt="" src="http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/images/icons/folder-gray.gif" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px -1px; padding: 0px;" /> <a href="http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/category/news/" rel="category tag" style="color: #365da0; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" title="View all posts in Home">HOME</a></div>
<div class="post-bodycopy clearfix" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; min-width: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
French group Bolloré Transport & Logistics has been chosen by the Timor-Leste (East Timor) government to build and manage the deepwater port of Dili under a public-private partnership, the group said in a statement.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
In a statement issued Monday, the group said that the ambitious project involves construction of a 630-metre long and 15 metre deep dock, as well as onshore facilities on a plot of 24 hectares.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
According to the statement sent to Macauhub, the partnership will be in place for 30 years, and this project will create 350 direct jobs as well as those created by the companies that build the port.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
In November 2015, the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste announced that the contract for the public-private partnership with the French group for construction and management of the port of Tibar would be signed in the first quarter of 2016.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The Bolloré Transport & Logistics group was better rated than the only other competitor, UK company Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, a subsidiary of DP World group, Dubai.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Along the way other competitors dropped out including the consortium made up of Portuguese companies Mota-Engil – Ambiente e Serviços, Mota-Engil, Engenharia e Construção and the Besik group and International Container Terminal Services Inc. of the Philippines. (macauhub/BR/PT/TL)</div>
</div>
Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-14254476967213501522016-01-16T19:18:00.002-08:002016-01-16T19:18:49.153-08:00Should Timor-Leste Turn to Portugal?<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;">
<h1 style="line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Rather than waiting for ASEAN, the less conventional option might prove more effective.</span></h1>
<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />By Jordan Peterson<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />January 11, 2016</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRFgWdtAvjFk5rgHlWVnjvPUtPk-NZ4gIqSAjBX9Tzw0WLBmxqmXSbzviVPtdpucpOoT3hTNNGpvlR8Amn3Tin4IyC3vYJ0moiHCUQI973N4LPU5GUYFsnWU2JSIl8pNh0-T0_RrdO24/s1600/thediplomat_2016-01-11_02-47-28-386x269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRFgWdtAvjFk5rgHlWVnjvPUtPk-NZ4gIqSAjBX9Tzw0WLBmxqmXSbzviVPtdpucpOoT3hTNNGpvlR8Amn3Tin4IyC3vYJ0moiHCUQI973N4LPU5GUYFsnWU2JSIl8pNh0-T0_RrdO24/s400/thediplomat_2016-01-11_02-47-28-386x269.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Cavaco Silva's visit to Timor-Leste, accompanied by former President Horta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;">
<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
</div>
<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Timor-Leste, the nation birthed out of a traumatic twenty-five year struggle for liberation from Indonesian occupation, remains one of Southeast Asia’s most vulnerable states. As Timor-Leste continues its long wait for <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/diplomatic-access-timor-leste/" rel="nofollow" style="color: black; line-height: 1.2em;" target="_blank">membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations</a> (a prospect that looks dim) it would do well to consider another less conventional option that has a higher likelihood of success: an enhanced relationship with Portugal including limited political unification. Counterintuitive though it may appear to a superficial observer, looking to Lisbon makes just as much sense for Timor-Leste as looking to Jakarta or Canberra, or Beijing for that matter. Southeast Asia faces a tumultuous decade as it prepares for economic, political-security, and socio-cultural integration. Timor-Leste remains marginal in the minds of ASEAN leaders and faces a Godot-like wait for a membership that will occur too late, if ever. Timor-Leste shares centuries of history with Portugal. The cultural, religious and linguistic orientation of the country is oriented towards many poles and Lisbon is one of the strongest. A <i style="line-height: 1.2em;">modus vivendi </i>political arrangement, similar to those of other overseas territories and collectivities of European states, including France and Portugal itself, would help Timor-Leste to grow economically and strengthen the state-building project it has embarked upon.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Even the most optimistic observers would admit that the <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2013/12/timor-leste-%E2%80%A8an-unsustainable-nation/" rel="nofollow" style="color: black; line-height: 1.2em;" target="_blank">microstate of Timor-Leste faces challenges</a> that threaten to unravel the progress made in the first 13 years of independence. It is true that Timor-Leste has been more successful than other post-conflict countries in erecting state institutions and creating a sustainable economy. When compared with other newly independent states, such as crisis wracked South Sudan or the politically paralyzed non-state of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Timor-Leste looks to have done remarkably well in mitigating ethnic conflict; this is even more remarkable considering that Timor-Leste has speakers of more than 33 different languages from two separate language families and dozens of distinct ethnic and local identities.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />All this is not to say that Timor-Leste will turn into another Singapore anytime soon, notwithstanding the hopes of its current leadership. The threat of political violence is a recurring one in a society still scarred by the atrocities of Indonesian troops and their locally allied militias. Political violence in 2006 prompted a United Nations intervention that helped to stabilize the country but divisions have not been fully healed. Timor-Leste must also figure out how to provide jobs for its huge, relative to the current population, youth bulge. Those under the age of 15 represent 42 percent of the population, easily making Timor-Leste the youngest country in Southeast Asia. That number will only grow in the future as the total fertility rate is one of the highest in the world at 5.01 births per Timorese woman.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Few prospects await this growing youth cohort, as the country remains one of the poorest, least developed and rural countries in Asia. The United Nations Human Development rankings put Timor-Leste at 133rd, slightly above Syria. The population of Timor-Leste is overwhelmingly rural and heavily reliant upon agriculture for employment if not for overall exports. Coffee has in recent years become a lucrative export but the economy and government of Timor-Leste is still dependent on petroleum. Oil is relied upon to fund nearly all state services including a bloated public sector. There is not enough to sustain a long-term development strategy that would utilize oil to create a sovereign wealth fund like that of Norway. When oil runs out Timor-Leste will face difficulties in providing basic services for its burgeoning population.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />The viability of Timor-Leste as a state is one that was raised prior to independence and has been raised continually. Even today, the countries dependence on outside benefactors cannot be ignored. This dependence will not abate in the future but will grow. Who provides that help to the country is of critical importance for the future of Timor-Leste.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Joining ASEAN is unlikely to create the solutions to development that Timor-Leste hopes for. The largest trading partners of Timor-Leste include the United States, Indonesia, China and several Southeast Asian countries. Yet there is little that ASEAN can offer to Timor-Leste to improve its prospects for rapid, equitable and sustainable economic development. ASEAN countries still protect their agricultural sectors with sensitive lists and highly sensitive lists, which include staples such as rice, sugar and coffee. Even the more developed ASEAN economies, like Thailand and Malaysia, rely on agricultural exports and are not complementary trading partners for Timor-Leste.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Unlike the European Union, ASEAN is under-funded and unable to extend economic assistance or development aid to the degree needed by Timor-Leste. The capacity for ASEAN to induce reform from prospective member states, either economic or political, is almost non-existent. There exists little incentive for Timor-Leste to create better governance or structural economic reforms in order to join ASEAN and ASEAN has little in the way of funding to entice Timor-Leste to reform. Joining ASEAN provides Timor-Leste with little gains economically or politically. The country will be hard pressed to meet the barest of obligations of an ASEAN member which includes attending hundreds of meetings yearly and hosting ASEAN Summits and can expect little help from ASEAN partners.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><b style="line-height: 1.2em;">The Portuguese Option<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /></b>In lieu of ASEAN, Timor-Leste should look to Portugal. Today the thought that an independent, former colony would <i style="line-height: 1.2em;">willingly </i>seek to form any sort of political association with its former colonizer is heretical if not downright diabolical to many. This is not an argument for tropical lusophonism redux. Portugal today is not the Portugal of the <i style="line-height: 1.2em;">Esatdo Novo</i> that expired with the Caetano regime during the Carnation Revolution, when Timor-Leste was on the cusp of achieving independence before being invaded by Indonesia in 1975. Portugal has made the transition from right-wing authoritarian dictator to a successful liberal democracy firmly ensconced in the bosom of the European Union. Having made this transition without bloodshed Portugal has much to offer Timor-Leste.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Portuguese peacekeepers were accepted during the 2006 political crisis in Timor-Leste and have played important roles in the country. The judiciary, police force, military and bureaucracy would all benefit from Portuguese assistance, which would be facilitated by the use of Portuguese, one of two official languages in Timor-Leste.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Timor-Leste has deep cultural ties to Portugal that are exemplified by its use of Portuguese, along with Tetum, as the official languages of the country. Roman Catholicism introduced by the Portuguese is the dominant religion in Timor-Leste, making it only one of two predominantly Christian nations in East Asia. The blending of Portuguese and Timorese cultures and customs is deep and resembles other former Portuguese colonies. Timorese today are entitled to Portuguese citizenship and many still use their Portuguese passports to travel abroad. The ties between Timor-Leste and Portugal are familial. Many Timorese, including freedom fighter and first President Xanana Gusmao, have Portuguese ancestry.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Portugal acknowledged the multiracial character of its overseas possessions and the taking on of Portuguese identity by those in its former colonies is not a superficial mimicry but a melding of cultures, peoples and traditions. Even during the arch-conservative <i style="line-height: 1.2em;">estado novo</i> of Salazar, Portugal was not swept by the racist or fascist policies of other European states. The durable presence of Portuguese customs, language and identity in Timor-Leste is a testament to this.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Aside from the linguistic, cultural and historic ties between Timor-Leste and Portugal there is much to enable a political association and nothing that would seriously preclude it. Although the geographical distance between Portugal and Timor-Leste could not be further there is no reason this would prevent a political association. Several former colonial powers in Europe remain in association and political union with far-flung former colonial possessions. France is the most significant example of this. It is often forgotten that the borders of France do not end only at the Pyrenees or the Mediterranean. France has several overseas departments, including French Guiana, Mayotte, Reunion, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. These overseas departments are considered as no less a part of France than those in Metropolitan France and vote in all French elections as well as for representation in the European Parliament. Their distance from Metropolitan France has not prevented their being considered entirely French.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />As with France, Portugal also administers the Azores and Madeira, which are thousands of miles distant from metropolitan Portugal. Portugal and Timor-Leste could model their new relationship on any number of political arrangements that have been reached between states and former colonial possessions. The most relevant of these would be those that are between Western states and island nations found in the Pacific. The United States, New Zealand and Australia all maintain association agreements between smaller island states in the Pacific Ocean. For the most part these agreements are mutually beneficial. Timor-Leste would gain from an agreement which would create the opportunity for significant investment from Portugal to help develop critical economic sectors including tourism, services, and agriculture. Unlike in the past there is no incentive for Portugal to send hordes of young men to “colonize” the island.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" />Timor-Leste’s booming population already retains Portuguese citizenship but in the future this may be revoked. Timor-Leste should move now to ensure that its people have the opportunity to study, live and work in Portugal and the European Union. Portugal has a declining population and one that is aging rapidly. This is complementary with Timor-Leste’s young and growing population. The cyclical migration patterns that were once a common feature of the past will reemerge with Portuguese, both old and young, traveling to Timor-Leste to enjoy tropical beaches and Timorese migrating between Timor-Leste and Portugal for work, study, and tourism. Portugal will once again have a backdoor to Asia and Timor-Leste could gain in governance, security and economic stability.<br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em;">Jordan Peterson is a master’s of ASEAN studies student at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. </i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;">
<i style="line-height: 1.2em;"><br /></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;">
<i style="line-height: 1.2em;">Source: </i><span style="background-color: transparent;">http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/should-timor-leste-turn-to-portugal/ </span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;" />Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-63975771251749259702015-07-01T00:32:00.000-07:002015-07-01T00:32:04.201-07:00Report identifies problems for investors in Timor-LesteProblems with basic infrastructure, excessive bureaucracy and delays in state
payments are among the main problems encountered by international investors in
Timor-Leste (East Timor), according to a study by the Government.<br />
<br />
The conclusion is from the Specialised Investment Agency (AEI) of Timor-Leste
based on consultations with investors and entrepreneurs who were sent a
questionnaire about their projects and activities in Timor-Leste.<br />
<br />
AEI noted the main problems were difficulties with occasional electrical
discharges that damage equipment and sanitation problems that cause flooding.
Another common problem is bureaucracy and the complex and lengthy process of
invoicing the State and receiving payment.<br />
<br />
Delays in signing land lease contracts, time-consuming procedures for renewal
of business registration and the time-consuming and difficult process for
obtaining work visas are also amongst the problems.<br />
<br />
“We got many positive responses in relation to the provision of services
SERVE (the one stop shop for Registration of Businesses and Verification
Services),” the document said.<br />
<br />
The questionnaire was a follow-up to the Investor Certificates issued since
2006 in order to understand the difficulties and challenges of both national and
international investors.<br />
<br />
The analysis, to be completed by July, is intend to “keep an eye on companies
and understand the nature of the investor in Timor-Leste, the usefulness of the
certificates issued by the AEI and to be aware of the main difficulties facing
investors.”<br />
<br />
To determine the current situation, the questionnaire covers topics such as
number of employees, wages, business progress, difficulties on the ground, the
registration process, work permits, financing, security and other data.
(macauhub/TL)<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/2015/06/26/report-identifies-problems-for-investors-in-timor-leste/">http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/2015/06/26/report-identifies-problems-for-investors-in-timor-leste/</a>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-61392418293284396822015-05-28T23:16:00.000-07:002015-05-28T23:16:11.999-07:00Timor-Leste and China sign agreement to set up Logistic Center
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*Diario, May 29, 2015 Language source: Tetun<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Timorese Government especially the Ministry of
Commerce, Industry, and Environment (MCIA) signed an agreement with the
Government of China to set up National and Regional Logistic Centers.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The construction of these logistic centers will be funded
by the Chinese Government and the first logistic center will be set up in
Baucau District and Natarbora of Manatuto and then the National Logistic Center
will be set up in Dili.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“This is the cooperation which MCIA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>builds with the Chinese Government and they
are here to do a survey to obtain preliminary data for constructing three
regional logistic centers and a national logistic center which will be set up
in Baucau, Manatuo, Dili and Maliana of Bobonaro District,” Minister for MCIA,
Antonio da Conceicao said in Fomento of Dili yesterday.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He said that the logistic centers would be used as place
to put local agricultural products and foods to better manage the local products
in the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-80991161307099591232015-04-14T22:23:00.001-07:002015-04-14T22:23:46.899-07:00Timor-Leste’s population bubble – will it lift or drag? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="article-meta-head">
<span class="date-author"><strong>Charles Gent, Flinders University</strong> | 14 April 2015 </span> </div>
<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><div id="social-icons" style="float: right;">
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_tweet" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_linkedin_counter" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a></div>
</div>
<!-- AddThis Button END --><div class="left-column-holder">
<div class="id-slider" id="slideshow_popuppage_holder">
<img alt="Dr Saikia (far left) with a group of mothers and children in Timor-Leste" class="main-image" src="http://indaily.com.au/wp-content/themes/indaily/includes/timthumb.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Udoy-in-East-Timor.jpg&h=365&w=720&zc=1&q=99&a=l" /></div>
<!--end slider banner--><div class="post-38366 flinders-news type-flinders-news status-publish hentry tag-home-sidebar" id="post-38366">
<div class="post-entry">
<div class="image_caption_author_line">
<span id="image_caption_author"> Dr Saikia (far left) with a group of mothers and children in Timor-Leste </span></div>
<span class="lead-sentence"></span><div id="stcpDiv">
A Flinders demographer this week will tell the government of Timor-Leste that the population ‘bubble’ caused by soaring birth rates after independence in 2000 could potentially lead to an economic dividend for the young island nation. <br />
<br />
However, Dr Udoy Saikia warned that if Timor-Leste does not respond to its current challenges through adequate investment in human capital in this early stage of demographic transition, then the country is likely to experience increased poverty, environmental degradation and risks of violent conflict.<br />
<br />
Director of Applied Population Studies program in the School of the Environment, Dr Saikia said that from an already high base of 5.3 during its time as an Indonesian province, Timor-Leste’s fertility rate – the number of births per mother in the reproductive age group – grew after independence to reach an extraordinary average level of 7.8, one of the highest in the world, in 2003. It currently sits at 5.7.<br />
<br />
Dr Saikia recently completed an updated projection (originally commissioned by Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation) of population growth and its implications for the Timor-Leste that suggests that the current population of close to 1.2 million will reach 1.4 million by 2020, and that the increase could double to around 1.82 million by 2030.<br />
<br />
Analysis of rapid population growth points to serious issues for Timor-Leste, including social problems associated with potential mass unemployment among the nation’s youth.<br />
“We are projecting that at the current rate of growth, 18,000 new jobs need to be created every year for the young population,” Dr Saikia said.<br />
<br />
He said that given the number of formal jobs created in 2008 was around 400, there is “a big gap”.<br />
But given the right government strategies, including disciplined use of its oil revenues to invest in education, Dr Saikia said that Timor-Leste could emulate the social and economic success of South Korea, which had treated its high birth rates as a “demographic dividend” by heavily investing in youth education and training.<br />
<br />
The Flinders team, which comprises Dr Saikia, Associate Professor Gour Dasvarma, Dr Merve Hosgelen and Dr James Chalmers, was invited to present its findings to the Timor-Leste Government by the acting Prime Minister, Mr Agio Pereira. Mr Pereira was a keynote speaker at two conferences on transitional nations in the Asia Pacific organised by Flinders that were held in Adelaide in 2010 and 2011.<br />
<br />
“What we are proposing to them is that we will organise a skills program to train local people in survey techniques, so that they can assist us in new research projects on the population, youth bulge and human well-being,” Dr Saikia said.<br />
<br />
Timor-Leste has already demonstrated its ability to respond to social challenges: Dr Saikia said that faced with a total absence of doctors after independence, the Government negotiated a program with Cuba that has since trained hundreds of East Timorese as GPs.<br />
<br />
Reducing fertility levels may take longer to address, Dr Saikia said. His field research and focus groups identified a strong cultural belief among East Timorese supporting bigger family size.<br />
“If you ask East Timorese women, or their husbands, how many children they would like to have, the answer is almost always six or seven,” Dr Saikia said.<br />
<br />
“There are, however, some encouraging signs of declining birth rate in recent years, and with the commitment from the Timor-Leste Government as stated in their strategic plan 2011-2030, there is every possibility that the country can transform the current demographic concerns to future demographic dividend.”<br />
<br />
“It is highly important that we view the growing young Timorese as an opportunity rather than a burden, as otherwise their unmet aspirations can severely hamper the nation building process.”<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://indaily.com.au/flinders-news/2015/04/14/timor-lestes-population-bubble-will-it-lift-or-drag/">http://indaily.com.au/flinders-news/2015/04/14/timor-lestes-population-bubble-will-it-lift-or-drag/</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-80988490106024734562015-04-07T22:29:00.000-07:002015-04-07T22:29:05.413-07:00Decentralisation and rural development in Timor-Leste<h2 id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428463284227_6001">
<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428463284227_6000"></b> </h2>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428463284227_6100" style="font-size: small;">3 April 2015<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Author: Terry Russell, Denpasar<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Timor-Leste’s new Prime Minister, Rui Araujo, has inherited a policy of decentralising the nation’s governance. Given capacity issues, this process is unlikely to bring broader-based rural development to Timor-Leste in the short term. But, if managed effectively, greater decentralisation could have some positive impacts on village-level infrastructure and autonomy.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Administrative decentralisation is<a href="http://timor-leste.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Constitution_RDTL_ENG.pdf" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">embedded in Timor-Leste’s Constitution</a>. Recent laws, most notably Decree-Law no. 4/2014 on Administrative Pre-deconcentration, have now provided the legal framework for increased decentralisation to the districts. Under these laws, district managers continue to be appointed by the national-level government. Yet now these managers will have a bigger budget and direct authority over most of the offices operating at district level.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Considering the lack of institutional capacity even at national level, Timor-Leste is highly unlikely to find sufficient institutional capacity in its districts. The government needs to devolve budgetary power gradually so that the districts put the skills and systems in place before being given a large budget.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The main mechanism for devolving budgetary power to district governments has been through the government’s PDID program (<i>Planeamento Desenvolvimento Integrado Distrital</i>, Integrated District Development Planning). This program has also been the main mechanism for enabling district governments to gain experience in planning and procurement. Since 2012, PDID and its predecessor program PDD have been allocated a total US$193.7 million for small-scale infrastructure development in Timor-Leste’s 13 districts. That’s an average of only around US$5 million annually per district. Decentralisation is clearly moving slowly and so is the building of experience at the district level.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />But slowing down devolution of budgetary power does not mean giving up on rural development in the short term. Timor-Leste’s government still has other tools for rural development. One less promising way is simply to continue directing its national budget through line ministries to develop agriculture, education, health and other services in the districts. Since 2002, this appears to have had no success in<a href="http://www.wfp.org/countries/timor-leste/overview" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">lifting</a><a href="http://www.wfp.org/countries/timor-leste/overview" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Timor-Leste’s rural poor out</a> of subsistence farming and has had<a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/Timorleste_statistics.html" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">only limited success in providing services</a> to rural areas.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />An alternative way one that produces more bottom-up planning and less<a href="http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/10/25/no-good-time-for-xanana-gusmao-to-let-go/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">bureaucratic</a><a href="http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/10/25/no-good-time-for-xanana-gusmao-to-let-go/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank"> red tape</a> is through the PNDS program (<i>Programa Nasional Dezenvolvimentu Suku,</i> National Program for Village Development). Here, money goes straight from the national to village level, with district-level government only playing a technical support role.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The<a href="http://www.estatal.gov.tl/Documents/Discursos/StrategicPartnership_Discussionsfor_development.pdf" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">PNDS is modelled on Indonesia’s PNPM program</a>, which gives grants directly to communities for high-priority, small-scale infrastructure projects. While it’s still early days, PNDS has so far<a href="http://aid.dfat.gov.au/Publications/Documents/timor-leste-appr-2013-14.pdf" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">been praised for its success</a> in improving physical infrastructure and village-level planning.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The PNDS has limitations. It does not directly boost local production and it is not big enough to provide major infrastructure. It can refurbish schools and health posts but it cannot provide for ongoing costs. The government’s 2015 budget has allocated only<a href="http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/OGE15/14OGE15.htm" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">US$20 million</a> for the PDID and PNDS programs combined. This represents only around 1.3 per cent of the national budget: the government is clearly not in a hurry to stake everything on the program. But while the budget may not be sufficient for each of Timor-Leste’s 442 villages to receive the<a href="http://www.estatal.gov.tl/Documents/Discursos/StrategicPartnership_Discussionsfor_development.pdf" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">initially planned</a> US$50,000 it will benefit many and will do so quickly.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Finally, the upcoming Suco Law formally recognises village councils as an arm of the government and provides a monthly allowance to each village chief and sub-village chief, as well as other members of the Suco Council. It will thus increase the accountability of village officials to the demands of the government.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The Suco Law and the PNDS and PDID programs will provide small-scale infrastructure, with some impacts on village-level and district-level governance. Decree-Law no. 4/2014 on Administrative Pre-deconcentration devolves decision-making to district level government structures, but in the short term these structures will lack skills and funding to have significant impacts.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Ultimately, none of the above elements of decentralisation provide confidence that government services and economic vibrancy will improve in rural Timor-Leste in the short term. Instead, the main hopes for improved government services come from national investment in large-scale road networks and telecommunications infrastructure. This will be of direct benefit to rural people, improving access to agriculture, health and education services in remote areas.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The main hope for economic growth comes from a large-scale source that has nothing to do with decentralisation: foreign investment. For example, Dutch-based brewery giant, Heineken, will begin<a href="http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/business/heineken-build-beverage-plant-timor-leste/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">construction of a brewery</a> at Hera just east of Dili in 2015. Its total investment will range between US$30–45 million and is expected to provide 200 jobs directly and 800 indirectly. Also planned for construction in 2015 is<a href="http://www.easttimorlawandjusticebulletin.com/2014/06/fundasaun-mahein-cement-factory-in.html" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">a cement factory near Baucau</a>, with investment from a Western Australian company. This investment has been projected to create thousands of jobs. Several large hotels will be constructed, including in Oecussi and just west of Dili, while hopes and planning continue for a gas processing plant at Beacu and a petrochemical refinery at Betano.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />No one can safely say when district governments will have sufficient skills and systems to handle a larger portion of the national budget. The Special Social Market Economy Zone in Oecussi is already trying to handle a large budget almost US$82 million in 2015. Hopefully it will provide important lessons before large budgets are devolved to other district governments. In the meantime, rural areas in the other 12 districts will remain largely reliant on the national government for any improvements in government services and economic vibrancy.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The relative impotence of decentralisation in the short term should not cause despair. Instead, it should be a spur to building skills and systems at district level in preparation for rising power. And it should also stimulate more innovative and efficient<a href="http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/10/31/concerns-over-judicial-independence-in-timor-leste/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">governance at the national level</a>. Rural Timor-Leste has waited too long already.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428463284227_6105">Dr Terry Russell worked with the UNTAET mission in East Timor in 2001–2002 and has, as an NGO worker and consultant, made regular visits to Timor-Leste since its independence.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>Source: </em><u><span style="color: #0066cc;">http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2015/04/03/decentralisation-and-rural-development-in-timor-leste/</span></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em><br clear="none" /></em></span>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-55191148672671700742015-04-05T04:47:00.001-07:002015-04-05T04:47:58.889-07:00PNG to be a leading fast growing economy in Asia in 2015: ADB | Pacific Beat<a href="http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/png-to-be-a-leading-fast-growing-economy-in-asia-in-2015-adb/1430091">PNG to be a leading fast growing economy in Asia in 2015: ADB | Pacific Beat</a><br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">The Asian Development Outlook says PNG will see growth of 15 per cent, cementing its place as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, while East Timor can expect growth of 6.2 per cent.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">Both countries rely heavily on oil and gas.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">Chris Edmonds says the strong growth in PNG is a spike brought about by the launch of liquid natural gas exports from the big ExxonMobil processing plant near Port Moresby.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">He says growth will peak this year before falling to 5 per cent in 2016.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-81257421915196472462015-04-05T04:40:00.001-07:002015-04-05T04:40:16.357-07:00Asian Development Outlook 2015 on Timor-Leste Economic Performance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2649" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2653" style="font-size: small;"><b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2652">Asian Development Outlook 2015 </b></span>pp.261-264<br /><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2733" style="font-size: small;"><b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2732">Timor-Leste<br /></b>Large increases in public spending accelerated economic growth in 2014. Growth is expected to be slower in 2015 but recover in 2016 if major investment projects proceed as planned. Inflation eased under favorable external conditions but is projected to rise in 2015 and 2016. Declining petroleum production and low energy prices highlight the need to diversify the economy by encouraging private investment.<br /><br /><b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2734">Economic performance</b><br /><br />Economic growth accelerated in 2014, with GDP excluding the offshore petroleum sector (non-oil GDP) expanding by an estimated 7.1% (Figure 3.35.1). Improvements in budget execution saw own-funded government expenditures rise by 26.5% as the proportion of planned expenditures that were actually disbursed improved from 62% in 2013 to over 90% in 2014. Total public expenditures, including activities funded by development partners, were equivalent to 110% of non-oil GDP in 2014.<br /><br />The private sector remains reliant on demand from government spending. This was highlighted by the recently published Business Activity Survey of Timor-Leste 2013, which provides the most recent comprehensive data on formally registered businesses. Public spending fell by 7.5% in 2013 and this contributed to an estimated 4.1% fall in formal employment in the private sector and a 3.5% drop in sector profits. The new data imply that non-oil GDP growth in 2013 was significantly lower than the most recent official estimate of 5.6%.<br /><br />Fiscal stimulus in 2014 supported increased commercial activity and strong growth in private consumption. Electricity use by businesses rose by 10.9%. Motorcycle and passenger vehicle registration increased by 60.4%. The entry of a new airline restored competition on the Bali–Dili route. While total passenger numbers were flat, the number of Timorese passengers more than doubled.<br /><br />Inflation continued its downward trend in 2014 as annual average inflation slowed to 0.7% despite higher demand from rising public spending (Figure 3.35.2). As the US dollar is the official currency of Timor-Leste, its continued strength against the currencies of trading partners such as Indonesia was a key factor. Lower oil prices reduced transport costs and lower international food prices kept local prices stable in the face of rising demand.<br /><br />The 2014 budget introduced new regulations to improve the quality of public spending, including limits on single-source procurement, conditions linking withdrawals from the Petroleum Fund to timely budget execution, and controls on advance payments. Several of these regulations were subsequently relaxed as budget execution lagged. This helped push own-funded capital expenditures up by 27.8% to $448 million in the year, with more than half of this higher spending in November and December.<br /><br />The government continued to invest in the national electricity network. Expenditures of $133 million in 2014 brought investment on the network since 2008 to $1 billion. Despite excess generation capacity, additional investment and reform are needed to reduce operating subsidies of $87 million in 2014equal to 6% of non-oil GDP.<br /><br />Government revenues totaled $3.0 billion in 2014 and yielded a fiscal surplus equivalent to 1.3 times non-oil GDP. This surplus was saved in the government’s Petroleum Fund, increasing the Fund’s balance to $16.5 billion or $13,700 per capita. Fund investments obtained a nominal return of 3.3% in 2014. This was consistent with the benchmark yields established by the fund’s investment mandate, but investment income nevertheless fell 35% short the 2014 budget forecast.<br /><br />Real sector outcomes were mixed in 2014. Construction is estimated to have grown rapidly on the back of increased public capital investment and sustained demand from the private sector, though official trade statistics reported lower imports of such inputs as cement and steel. Heavy rains contributed to a 29% fall in coffee production, but coffee export revenues fell by only 12% thanks to higher international prices. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that rice and maize production increased by 18% with expanded planted area, the adoption of new technologies, and favorable growing conditions.<br /><br />Lending to businesses and individuals was flat in 2014 but showed significant variation by sector. Lending for trade and finance accounted for 20% of all private sector credit in 2013 but fell by more than 64% in 2014, while lending for transport and communication fell by 18%. Lending to all other sectors grew. Credit to individuals rose by 11% and to construction firms by 15%. Lending for agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism accounted for 6% of all lending in 2013 but grew rapidly in 2014 to account for 13% of total private sector credit by the end of the year.<br /><br />Businesses continued to accumulate bank deposits in 2014. Growth in business deposits averaged 46% year on year, such that the stock of deposits now exceeds total credit to the private sector. This growth, which started in 2013, suggests that more businesses can now use retained earnings to finance their operations.<br /><br />Despite declining petroleum income, Timor-Leste once again posted a current account surplus, equal to 88% of non-oil GDP in 2014, as higher petroleum income offset a large deficit in goods and services trade (Figure 3.35.3). <br /><br /><b>Economic prospects<br /></b>Growth is expected to slow to 6.2% in 2015 as stimulus from rising public spending eases, then rise to 6.6% in 2016 as major public and private investment projects move forward. Inflation is forecast at 2.8% in 2015 and 4.0% in 2016 as the deflationary effects of the strong dollar and low international food prices dissipate and domestic demand builds.<br /><br />While growth is forecast to be lower than in recent years, encouraging signs have emerged of a more active private sector. Work on a new $45 million brewery and bottling plant is set to begin in 2015, and domestic and foreign investors are considering several other major investment projects.<br /><br />Budgeted spending for 2015 is 5% above the 2014 budget envelope and 21% above the government’s own target for long-term fiscal sustainability. The share of recurrent spending in the budget has continued to rise, with social transfers and grants accounting for more than a quarter of public spending. The government has also maintained plans for large public capital projects. The 2015 public investment program includes $66 million to upgrade national roads and bridges and an additional $57 million for the electricity system. Work to develop a new international port is expected to start, and the budget anticipates investments in other transport infrastructure to be greatly scaled up in 2016.<br /><br />Taxes and royalties from petroleum production provided 57% of government revenues in 2014. Production from current fields peaked in 2012 and is forecast to end in 2020, while the prospects for new development remain uncertain. The 2015 budget cut the discounted forecast of future petroleum revenues by 16% to $4.7 billion in anticipation of production downgrades, rising costs, and lower prices (Figure 3.35.4). This forecast assumes an average oil price of $89 per barrel from 2015 to 2020. As it was prepared in May 2014, it did not factor in the sharp fall in oil prices in the second half of 2014. In January, the World Bank forecast the average price of crude at $63 per barrel during 2015–2020.<br /><br />Lower oil prices will likely narrow the current account. Surpluses are expected to fall to 55% of non-oil GDP in 2015 and 51.6% in 2016. The fiscal surplus will fall to 36% of non-oil GDP in 2015 and 8% in 2016 if planned spending increases go ahead (Figure 3.35.5). The 2015 budget estimated that the Petroleum Fund could sustain annual withdrawals of $638.5 million without losing value in real terms. However, lower oil prices will likely cut the estimated sustainable income to less than $600 millionsignificantly below planned withdrawals of $1.3 billion in 2015 and $1.7 billion in 2016.<br /><br />The government of Timor-Leste decided in October to establish a special commission to negotiate maritime boundaries with Australia. Progress in resolving territorial disputes could pave the way for developing the Greater Sunrise gas field, though prospects remain uncertain. As revenues from existing fields decline, prudent fiscal policy is needed avoid rapidly depleting savings in the Petroleum Fund. Fiscal consolidation is likely to mean a period of lower growth, but improving the quality of public spending can bring sustained improvement in living standards.<br /><br /><b>Policy challenge encouraging private investment<br /></b>Growth and job creation increasingly depend on the private sector, which has expanded rapidly in recent years but remains at an early stage of development. Limited domestic capacity means that foreign investors can play important roles by providing access to capital, technology, and new markets.<br /><br />Successive governments have implemented policies and laws to encourage foreign investment. The 2005 Foreign Investment Law established a framework for investment by foreign citizens and nonresident Timorese. The law guaranteed foreign investors equal treatment and established an investment certification process with modest tax incentives and few restrictions on the sectors open for investment. To encourage investment, tax reform in 2008 slashed corporate tax from 30% to 10%, which compares favorably with the average corporate tax rate of 23% among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Further incentives were provided in the 2011 Investment Law to encourage investment by foreign nationals and resident Timorese citizens. Investors who meet legal requirements can receive tax exemptions for up to 10 years.<br /><br />Despite these incentives, private investment has increased only moderately. National accounts data show that private capital formation has grown modestly since 2007 when compared with the rapid increases in public investment (Figure 3.35.6). Growth in the number of registered foreign investments has also been slow. The government has registered an average of six foreign investments per year since 2006, with an average of $2.9 million per investment equal to 0.2% of non-oil GDP (Figure 3.35.7).<br /><br />Investors from Australia, the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Portugal, and Viet Nam have been most active in the country since 2006, and there is clear potential to attract greater foreign investment. However, current low investment reflects the country’s challenging business environment and the failure of incentives to overcome these challenges.<br /><br />To attract greater investment from overseas, the government has established a new agency to promote Timor-Leste as an investment destination and facilitate the entry of new investors. This could significantly improve investment flows if supported by a credible program to improve the business environment. Planned reviews of the investment law and tax code offer opportunities to ensure that tax incentives are clearly defined and well targeted. Legal reform to ensure clear and straightforward access to land is another priority and there is scope to streamline business licensing and improve access to foreign skilled labor where needed.<br /></span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2736" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2737" style="font-size: small;"><br />etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2736" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2736" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: </span>From <a href="http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/154508/ado-2015.pdf" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428233732935_2749" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/154508/ado-2015.pdf</a> (see also charts)</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-82007191794167398222015-04-05T04:35:00.000-07:002015-04-05T04:35:05.582-07:00Newly sworn in PM of Timor Leste<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKie5nL0RjXZ2s3bokrvTGkfJaaaYV1KlMCRlHmGQIdIHabfvG_7mk-vxt7j3v8wdqBJbCu8GpUIYdWLufsaDbDmou42ikdnKHMr3Y3cOKggAgYnDx1Qm5Em8HJ4V-cG8C6kMx9p9__PI/s1600/PM+Rui+Maria+Araujo+Timor+Leste+foto+AP+Associated+Press.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKie5nL0RjXZ2s3bokrvTGkfJaaaYV1KlMCRlHmGQIdIHabfvG_7mk-vxt7j3v8wdqBJbCu8GpUIYdWLufsaDbDmou42ikdnKHMr3Y3cOKggAgYnDx1Qm5Em8HJ4V-cG8C6kMx9p9__PI/s1600/PM+Rui+Maria+Araujo+Timor+Leste+foto+AP+Associated+Press.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prime Minister Dr Ruia Maria de Araujo. Photo: Associated Press</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-53186289570531350242015-03-15T17:18:00.000-07:002015-03-15T17:18:25.146-07:00MOP starts discussing Tibar Sea Port construction
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">*Independente,
February 26, 2015 Language source: Tetun<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Ministry of
Public Work, Telecommunication, and Transport has been scheduled to discuss
Tibar Sea Port construction today (Thursday 26,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2015) with
International Fan Corporation (IFC).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Deputy Minister for
Public Work, Telecommunication, and Transport, Inacio Moreira said they had met
with Minister for Finance and Minister for Planning and Strategic Investment to
discuss about Tibar Sea Port Construction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I have got several
documents and we work intensively, so tomorrow (today, red) we are going to
meet with IFC to discuss about Tibar Sea Port construction and if it was
possible, the construction could be started shortly,” Inacio Moreira said at
his office on Wednesday 24.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-81471339755021432072015-02-12T18:36:00.001-08:002015-02-12T18:36:05.485-08:00A changing landscape - Policy Forum<a href="http://www.policyforum.net/a-changing-landscape/#sthash.SQC3C3JP.cmfs">A changing landscape - Policy Forum</a><br /><br />
<br /><br />
The resignation of East Timor’s Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, and the appointment of a new cabinet marks a fundamental change in the young country’s political<br clear="none" />landscape. Gusmao’s resignation was expected, having been initially flagged during the passing of the budget almost a year ago, but has raised questions about the country’s future direction.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Gusmao’s successor is former Fretilin Deputy Prime Minister under Jose Ramos-Horta’s prime ministership, and Fretilin Health Minister, Rui<br clear="none" />Araujo. At 50, Araujo is considered to be one of the ‘young generation’, and is widely liked and respected. Araujo’s appointment<br clear="none" />indicates that a long-discussed ‘government of national unity’ has come to fruition.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Araujo is known for being methodical and having a strong grasp of the country’s finances. As a former independent, before formally joining<br clear="none" />with Fretilin, Araujo is seen as a moderate who is able to maintain good relations with major donor countries, notably Australia and the US.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />One of the principal concerns about Gusmao’s resignation has been the continued stability of East Timor. There is no doubt that, while not universally popular, he has<br clear="none" />been both the towering figure of East Timorese politics and a great stabilising influence, especially after the chaos of 2006-7.<br clear="none" />A ‘government of national unity’ would, by bringing East Timor’s major political groupings into the same government, very likely provide a much more stable political<br clear="none" />environment than one in which there continued to be a high level of political division. The disadvantage with such an arrangement is,<br clear="none" />however, that it will leave the government without a viable opposition, which could reduce political accountability.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />If such an arrangement was in place until the next elections, scheduled for 2017, this might be seen as an adequate post-Gusmao period<br clear="none" />of transition. If it went beyond 2017, however, it might start to look more like some other ‘dominant party’ states, such as Malaysia, where<br clear="none" />coalitions rule effectively unchallenged.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />As for Gusmao himself, it is likely he will remain either in a ministerial role or in an advisory capacity, at least for the time<br clear="none" />being. The President, Taur Matan Ruak, is also expected to keep a close watch on the post-Gusmao environment; it is no coincidence that his<br clear="none" />name, a nom de guerre, translates as ‘Two Eyes Watching’.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />East Timor’s foreign relations are unlikely to shift under the new regime, with perhaps the new Prime Minister being slightly less<br clear="none" />combative than Gusmao has, on occasion, been in the past. Araujo is widely regarded as consiliatory, although this should not be taken as a<br clear="none" />sign of softness in protecting East Timor’s interests.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />There is also hope that the Greater Sunrise LNG field dispute, worth tens of billions of dollars, may be resolved under the new<br clear="none" />government. However, there is no particular indication this will be the case. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />More importantly, however, East Timor will continue to push ahead with its desire to see a permanent maritime boundary established between<br clear="none" />it and Australia. As Gusmao was resigning, East Timor’s parliament passed a law establishing a maritime council which will have oversight of settling permanent boundaries with Australia. If successful, this will mean overturning the current 50-year arrangement in which the resources of the Timor Gap are shared between the two <br clear="none" />countries, based on an earlier Indonesian agreement that favored Australia.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />While Australia has opposed such a move, it has agreed to enter into discussions over the boundary question outside a judicial setting. This<br clear="none" />has been variously interpreted as East Timor believing it is getting closer to some form of agreement, or Australia just buying time. Whatever the circumstances, this is not likely to destabilise other elements of the bilateral relationship, which East Timor is keen to maintain.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />East Timor has faced the challenges common to many, perhaps most, newly independent states. But it now appears that it might now be moving<br clear="none" />past initial teething problems. With an orderly transition from the leadership of the country’s<br clear="none" />dominant political actor, it may be that East Timor is now moving towards a phase in its development when it can concentrate on planning<br clear="none" />its future rather than be distracted by its present. It will need to, if it is to survive the challenges of improving the livelihoods of its<br clear="none" />people, and sustainably manage the all-important petroleum fund that underpins the country’s economy.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Professor Damien Kingsbury</span><br /><br />
<div id="yiv3040086167Signature"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423794450961_5301" style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423794450961_5300" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423794450961_5299" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423794450961_5298" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423794450961_5297" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"></span><div align="left" class="yiv3040086167PlainText" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423794450961_5296" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Personal Chair</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br clear="none" />Faculty of Arts and Education<br clear="none" />Deakin University, Melbourne<br clear="none" />+61(0)439638834</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Renova Timorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787387419608062954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2468214468833946639.post-46053518868392769792014-11-21T00:06:00.003-08:002014-11-21T00:06:52.881-08:00Indonesia wants to facilitate air travel within Timor-Leste<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCTYEFokW6WdcI6mv436wEY8iTkcgEcayl1KJjeGriFhj9I6Be3gAgLMh2mEOllmItFQUtXwBjO_SkWsZbxabNWjWDKxKz36QtM4q4sblGt8qsUVJ9bD0rqXQFDkaId2AL8dcoA9EX9U/s1600/Dili+Airport+Traffic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCTYEFokW6WdcI6mv436wEY8iTkcgEcayl1KJjeGriFhj9I6Be3gAgLMh2mEOllmItFQUtXwBjO_SkWsZbxabNWjWDKxKz36QtM4q4sblGt8qsUVJ9bD0rqXQFDkaId2AL8dcoA9EX9U/s1600/Dili+Airport+Traffic.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dili Airport Traffic. Photo: Julito Gonzaga</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
According to Jornal Independente (20/11/2014), Timor-Leste Trade
Atache to Indonesia, Jose Honorio said the Indonesian government has ordered
two small planes to fly in Timor’s domestic flights. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
“We will have two planes that will fly to Lospalos, Suai and
Oecusse and other places [in the country] that need small planes to fly there,”
said Mr Honorio in Jakarta on Tuesday (18/11). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
The mentioned small planes would be addition to two
Indonesian Airlines companies, Sriwijaya and Garuda that are already flying
daily from Bali to Dili, the capital. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
However, Mr Honorio added, the Indonesian side are still
waiting for license for operation from Timor-Leste’s ministry of Transport and
Communication. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Currently, there are four flights connecting Timor-Leste to
the world. The daily flights are Air North from Darwin, Silk Air from
Singapore, Sriwijaya from Bali and Garuda Indonesia from Bali. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
The Government of Timor-Leste planned to extent its only
Dili International Airport, sometime in 2015, to attract connecting flights
from countries in the Pacific to Asia. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14571343884378922769noreply@blogger.com1