Also: Resignation Statement of Fernanda Borges

23 Apr 02 12:49 
East Timor: Boavida To Replace Critical Borges at Finance Ministry

UN transition administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello announced Tuesday that Maria Brites Boavida will become East Timor´s finance minister next week, replacing Fernanda borges, who resigned criticizing the government.

Vieira de Mello said Boavida, who currently serves as financial director of the Joint Authority for the Timor Gap accord with Australia, will take office Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the ministry will be run by its No. 2 official, Arlindo Rangel, and preparations for the May 14-15 international donors conference will be entrusted to Emilia Pires, secretary of the Planning Commission, Vieira de Mello added.

He praised the outgoing minister, who resigned last week, for her "professional competence and responsibility" and "high sense of dedication" to East Timor.

In a statement sent to Lusa Tuesday, Borges said she stepped down "solely" because of "failures by the government to implement principles of good governance, the lack of transparency in developing policy and the personalized process of decision-making".

Last week, Chief Minister Mari Alkatiri, who has often clashed with Borges in cabinet, said she was resigning because of her "accumulated disagreements" with the World Bank.

SAS/ASP -Lusa-

The following statement was issued by Fernanda Borges, the Finance Minister in the transitional administration from September 2001 until she resigned this week.

PRESS STATEMENT (Original in English)

RESIGNATION OF FERNANDA BORGES, MINISTER OF FINANCE FOR THE SECOND TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF EAST TIMOR

I have verbally and in writing tendered my resignation as Finance Minister for the Second Transitional Government of East Timor to the Transitional Administrator and the Chief Minister with effect from close of business Monday, 22 April 2002.

I am grateful to the Transitional Administrator and the Chief Minister for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of East Timor. My decision to resign is predicated solely on the failure of the government to implement principles for good governance, lack of transparency in the development of policy and on the personalized decision-making process in government.

To the people of East Timor, 1 would like to inform that 1 have led the preparation of the Budget for the fiscal year 2002-03 and 3 years forward estimates for East Timor in time for the Donors Conference scheduled to take place in Dili on May 14-15, 2002. Despite the financial constraints that our country faces in the next 3 years, 1 believe that the provisions contained in the budget are realistically targeted to the key sectors that impact on poverty reduction, namely, agriculture, education and health. On the other hand the objective to promote and enhance economic growth is dependent on the government creating the regulatory framework and the conditions in which the private sector can operate. The success of budget execution and the implementation of the programs are reliant on the commitment and the will of each Minister and the Council of Ministers to establish governance arrangements that are needed to have true accountability.

My best wishes to the Second Transitional Government as the Transitional Administrator prepares under Resolution 1272 to hand over the reigns of power to the first government of independent of East Timor.

I thank you for supporting me during my tenure in office. 

/s/ 

Fernanda Borges 22 April 2002

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