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Timor-Leste International and Local Media Monitoring June 25, 2004

Timor Post

Together we will fight poverty, says PM

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that to reduce poverty in Timor-Leste everyone should contribute. The Prime Minister said that poverty is an enemy that needs to be eradicated. The Prime Minister said that everyone should make poverty a National enemy and help the Government exterminate the poverty.

Not a role for the Minister to explain numbers, says PM

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that the role of a Minister is to do politics and not to explain the budget to the National Parliament. This is a role for the technical department from the Ministry of Finance. The Prime Minister said that Members of the National Parliament want everyone to go and explain, but when the Minister goes there they have to wait hours because Members of the Parliament are never on time. The Prime Minister said that if Members of the National Parliament don?t agree with the proposed budget then they have the right to send back their views for the government to rectify.

Suara Timor Loro Sa'e (STL)

Economy can reduce poverty, says Alkatiri

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, has taken into account that the economic sector in Timor-Leste can play a vital part in reducing poverty. The Minister said that the economy is important but is not the only factor. Other contributing factors for poverty reduction are education, health and culture. The Prime Minister said that to reduce poverty in the country it?s important for people to change their mentality. If people don?t change their mentality then we will always be dependant on others. If you want to eradicate poverty then you have to double the efforts to separate people from dependency, said the Prime Minister.

Pre-paid electricity causes many victims, says Goncalves

A Member of the National Parliament for Social Democratic Party (PSD), João Gonçalves, said that the pre-paid electricity meters are a good measure to help create disciplined consumer habits, but in many instances has created many victims of the system. He said many consumers without work cannot afford to pay to have electricity. Mr Gonçalves said that the Government should reduce the tariff for consumers without a job can afford to have electricity at home. Mr Goncalves said that he does not know whose idea it was to introduce pre-paid meters in the country.

Dealing with corruption in Timor-Leste Civil Society should not be presented as a neutral body (Excerpts from the article)

Today's edition of the paper carries an article by the Director of the Lalenok ba Ema Hotu -Mirror for the People (LABEH). Dr Christopher Henry Samson writes about the corruption issues that are not a passing phenomenon. It is now an accepted fact that corruption hinders economic growth and sustainable development and often results in human rights violations. A firm commitment from all players, government, the private sectors, and civil society is required to develop and implement solutions. Indonesia ruled Timor-Leste for 24 years with perceived corruption and mentality, which most of our civil servants have not thought of leaving behind. ?Some are still in the same school of Indonesia in Timor-Leste government offices?. Dealing with corruption in Timor-Leste is far from being simply a matter of law enforcement. LABEH believes that it is important from the outset that the government has the political will to obtain legislative or administrative changes effective enough to combat corruption. It is also essential to have the three actors of the society working together, the government, the private sector and the civil society. The energies of these three are needed to assure changes in moral and ethical attitudes and to achieve meaningful results.

National Hospital conducts workshop on health

Today's edition of the paper says that the National Hospital Guido Valadares in Dili, carried out a workshop for three days on health issues like malaria, infant mortality, maternity deaths and cataracts. Dr Ana Magno, who was responsible for the workshop, said that the workshop was important with an objective to disseminate information, and to broaden the doctors capacity to deal with patients, not only at the Hospital but also at the District level. AllAfrica.com

Sonangol Literature Prize Reaches Mozambique, East Timor

The Sonangol Literature Prize, which until the 2003 edition used to distinguish unpublished works of Angolan, Cape-Verdean and Sao-Tomese writers, will start as from this year to award also Mozambican and East Timor writers, with the intention of turning it into one of the biggest Prizes of the Portuguese speakers literature. This information was revealed today, in Luanda, by the secretary-general of the Angolan Writers Union (UEA), Adriano Botelho de Vasconcelos, institution in charge of the management of this competition. Other innovations of the competition are the price of the Award that goes from USD 25,000 to 50,000 and its periodicity that will occur from three to three years and not twice a year, as it used to happen until now. With this extension, the countries of the Portuguese Speaking Community which do not participate in the competition are Brazil and Portugal. The Award is sponsored by Angola's oil firm (Sonangol) and it has already awarded writers from Cape-Verde, Carlos Araujo, Amilcar Lima and Vera Duarte. Writer Carlos Araujo shared the 1999 Award, with Angolan writer Jacques Arlindo, whereas Amilcar Lima won the 2001 edition and Vera Duarte shared the 2003 edition with Angolan Adriano Botelho de Vasconcelos.

Jose Filipe External Affairs World Bank, Dili Office

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