BACK DOOR Newsletter on East Timor

A collection of recent reports and articles highlighting the financial priorities of East Timorese organisations and international agencies involved in process of reconstruction.

NEW = Added to BACK DOOR Website since last Monday's Emailout

Sep 7 RDP: New ETimorese gov't sets anti-poverty fight as main objective  Interview added Sep 10
"In terms of the economy, we are absolutely sure that East Timor’s economy would not be sustainable if we did not solve the poverty problems from the outset. The eradication of poverty needs to be the main priority of this country. ... if we manage to concentrate investment and development in the interior, we will be able to sprawl the towns into the country instead of the opposite situation." Mari Alkatiri, secretary general of the winning party Fretilin Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor

July 2001 LHB: Reconstruction & Transition: What are the Next Steps?  Bulletin added July 29
"This Bulletin looks at different perspectives on the reconstruction and transition — that of the World Bank and UNTAET and that of the East Timor NGO Forum — in the context of the recently concluded donors’ meeting in Canberra, Australia. Given the intensifying “Timorization” of the territory’s administration and the current planning for the “post-UNTAET” era, these evaluations and recommendations are especially important." La'o Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis

Jun 15 ET NGO Forum: Administrative Transition  Comment added June 18
"Just as government has to develop capacity to work with the private sector, it has to develop skills and mechanisms to work with the community sector, or civil society. We particularly encourage donors to support NGOs in their monitoring role, to contribute towards accountable, transparent and effective government. We are concerned that key indicators of success at present appear to be disbursements, and we want the process measured in terms of impact, rather than spending." Arsenio Bano, Executive Director of the ET NGO Forum

Jun 15 ET NGO Forum: Donors’ Meeting Discusses Key Issues  Final release added June 18
“We want to see a culture of transparency and accountability and a culture of partnership built between government and civil society, to ensure that the future objectives of development, particularly poverty-reduction, are achieved. This will need a more comprehensive mechanism for government-civil society relations to be established by both current and future administrations. It will also be important for donors to make a long term commitment to support a future Timorese Government and civil society partners.” Arsenio Bano, Executive Director of the NGO Forum

Jun 15 ET NGO Forum: Financial Sustainability  Comment added June 18
"NGOs believe that the East Timorese people must direct their own development, This includes decisions around funding particularly given that so many difficult decisions will need to be made on spending priorities. NGOs promote the principle of decentralised and participatory budget making as detailed by Emilia Pires of the NPDA." Forum Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum

Jun 14 IHT: Ramos-Horta: East Timor Is Worthy of Your Help  Opinion added June 16
"We want to avoid too much dependence on oil and gas revenues, however. For this reason, we greatly appreciate international assistance to help diversify our economy, improve farm productivity, and strengthen small enterprises in manufacturing and tourism. Economic self-reliance is the cornerstone of true independence." José Ramos-Horta

Jun 13 ET W&S NGOs: Donors’ Conference: Water & Sanitation  Paper added June 15
"Under the current funding structures operating in East Timor, the bulk of financial assistance for water and sanitation development does not reach the community level. ... As no one is more aware of grass-roots needs and priorities than the communities themselves, direct donations will enable provision of sustainable and culturally appropriate technology. ... Direct assistance should be coupled with a willingness on the part of donors and international NGOs to respect the independence of national NGOs and have faith in both our ability to coordinate projects and manage financial and material donations. ... Donors must offer a long-term commitment to development in East Timor, to enable quality projects to be developed with and by East Timorese people." East Timorese National water and sanitation (W&S) NGOs

Jun 13 CAA-OA: East Timor Donors must deliver  Release added June 14
"The international and national non-government organisations in East Timor are calling for:
* Long-term strategy for development – Donor nations are asked deliver appropriate funding taking into consideration the long-term needs of the East Timorese people." Oxfam Community Aid

May 20 FRETILIN: Electoral Commitment 2001  Position statement added July 7
"Oil and natural gas are non-renewable sources of energy and revenue. The Administration will set a policy on the Timor Sea oil and gas exploration as well as on-shore exploration and will adopt a modern Code to ensure State control over that wealth and resources in order to maximise revenue and income. The Administration will define a strict framework to regulate the allocation of such revenues to be re-invested in the development of sectors such as fisheries, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, communications, education, health, transport systems, development of alternative energy sources, etc." FRETILIN: Frente Revolucionária Do Timor-Leste Independente

Tetum:
Boletim La’o Hamutuk: [PDF formatu]
Vol. 2, Nos. 1-2 Abríl 2001
Vizaun Jeral Hosi Fundu Ba Rekonstrusaun Timor Loro Sa’e:
http://www.etan.org/lh/PDFs/lhbl2n1t.pdf

Tetum:
Abríl 2001 BLH: Vizaun Jeral Hosi Fundu Ba Rekonstrusaun Timor Loro Sa’e  Overview added June 27
"Povu Timor Loro Sa’e frekuentemente foti lia-husu/ kestaun kona ba miliaun/tokon atus bar-barak dolar nebe suli mai iha rai laran ne’e hahún hosi fulan Setembru 1999. Liu tan, ne’e hotu la mos, kona ba osan sira ne’e ba iha nebe. Falta de matenek no transparansia hosi públiku no sira nia partisipasaun iha buat hirak nebe iha relasaun ho fundus nebe’e halo ema balun to’o ba konkluzaun katak iha buat ruma nebe la los. Nune’e mos, iha persepsaun ida nebe mo-mos, bele dehan nivel hosi fundus, iha neba mosu progresu nebe la to’o atu harii fali Timor Loro Sa’e." La’o Hamutuk, Instituto Timor Lorosa’e ba Analiza no Monitoring Reconstrucao

April 2001 LHB: Funding East Timor's Reconstruction  Overview added May 12
"People in East Timor have many questions about the hundreds of millions of dollars that have flowed into the country since September 1999. Most have little idea where the money is going. ... there is a pervasive perception that, given the levels of funding, there has been insufficient progress in the rebuilding of East Timor. ... " The La'o Hamutuk Bulletin Editorial

Tetum:
Abríl 2001 BLH: Problema Osan: Propriadadi no Prosesu  Editorial added July 12
"Ema internasional sira nebe fo suporta ba Timor Loro Sa’e, servisu ho organizasaun lokal sira, bele hola funsaun importante ida hodi garante ba fundu barak tan, no nivel kontrola nebe bo’ot sobre fundu sira hosi Timor oan sira. Ba ida ne’e, solidaridade internasional sira bele husu sira nia estadu atu fo suporta jenuinu barak liu tan (iha termus fundu sira no poder politika ) ba Timor Loro Sa’e. UNTAET bele hahú suporta aktivisme direitus humanus ida ne’e hodi hasai tiha pratika diskuzaun sekreta kona ba problema orsamentu." La’o Hamutuk, Instituto Timor Lorosa’e ba Analiza no Monitoring Reconstrucao

April 2001 LHB: Money Matters: Questions of Priorities and Process  Editorial added May 12
"International supporters of East Timor, working with local organizations, can play an important role in securing more funds, and greater control over the funds by the East Timorese people. In this regard, international advocates can lobby their governments to provide more genuine support (in terms of funds and political power) for East Timor. UNTAET can begin to support this human rights activism by ending the practice of closed-door discussions about budget matters." The La'o Hamutuk Bulletin Editorial

Mar 29 RDP: Timorese leader Gusmao criticizes use of aid funds  News added Mar 30
"An ironic Xanana Gusmao told the donors’ representatives that if ministers in Sergio Vieira de Mello’s [head of UNTAET, UN Transitional Administration in East Timor] government left the country less often and visited the districts in the interior of East Timor instead, listening to the people’s complaints and aspirations, then the level of trust would be different. Xanana said that the people would feel the funds were being used properly." Antonio Veladas

Bahasa Indonesia:
Jan 25-31 KPB: Rekomendasi: Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Timor Lorosa’e Article added Aug 3
"7. Mendanai secara tidak pelit program pembangunan berkelanjutan, termasuk penghasilan yang didapat dari Celah Timor. Prioritas-prioritas investasi termasuk: · Pertanian yang berkelanjutan dan pelestarian keanekaragaman hayati; · Penelitian dan pendidikan tentang pembangunan berkelanjutan; · Pengelolaan aliran air, sanitasi dan limbah; · Infrastruktur untuk energi yang berkelanjutan; · Pemeriksaan kembali pembangunan, dengan memakai analisa dampak lingkungan (ADL)" Konferensi Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Timor Lorosa'e

Bahasa Indonesia:
Jan 25-31 KPB: Dokumen berikut adalah ringkasan hasil-hasil lokakarya  Article added Aug 3
"Pembangunan berkelanjutan adalah dasar pokok cita-cita mengurangi kemiskinan di Timor Lorosa’e. ... Perencanaan-perencanaan keuangan untuk investasi, mata uang, pinjaman dari negara lain dan anggaran-anggaran memerlukan analisis pembangunan berkelanjutan yang tepat. Perlu adanya keterbukaan (transparency) dalam keputusan di tingkat nasional mengenai pembangunan yang bersifat keuangan." Konferensi Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Timor Lorosa'e

Jan 25-31 2001 CSD: Program for Conference on Sustainable Development  Summary up-dated Aug 3
"Sustainable development is fundamental to reducing poverty in Timor Lorosa’e. ... Financial arrangements for investment, currency, foreign borrowing and budgets require appropriate sustainable development analysis. There is a need for transparency in national decisions about financial development." Conference on Sustainable Development in East Timor

Jan 25-31 2001 CSD: Recommendations of Conference on Sustainable Development  Added Aug 3
"7. Invest substantially in sustainable development, including significant revenue derived from the Timor Gap. Investment priorities include: . Sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation; · Sustainable development education and research; · Water supply, sanitation and waste management; · Sustainable energy infrastructure; · Environmental impact assessment of development"  Conference on Sustainable Development in East Timor

Portuguese:
Out 2 2000 OTL: Educação, início do 1º ano escolar em Outubro de 2000  Report added June 27
"Sob a administração indonésia, apenas 6% dos 6672 professores primários (timorenses e indonésios) possuíam as habilitações curriculares necessárias ao ensino (Columbia University, 1999). O teste de selecção ao qual foram submetidos os professores parece essencialmente visar a redução do seu número e, assim, do seu peso sobre o orçamento da educação. O corte drástico, para menos de metade dos efectivos, contradiz a proclamação do acesso à escola primária para todas as crianças. A relação professor/alunos, 1/55, não é de molde a melhorar a qualidade. As exigências do Banco Mundial para a qualidade das construções e mobílias – e financiamentos implícitos oriundos do TFET- não parecem ter equivalente nos meios humanos que dependem do orçamento corrente." Observatório Timor Leste

Oct 2 2000 ETO: Education - 1st school year starts in October 2000  Report added June 27
"In Indonesia’s administration, only 6% of the 6,672 primary teachers (Timorese and Indonesian) held the necessary teaching qualifications (Columbia University, 1999). The purpose of the nationwide teacher selection examination appears to have been to cut back on their numbers and, thus, on education budget spending. Such a drastic reduction – down to less than half original numbers – flies in the face of the proclaimed access to primary school education for all children. At 1:55, the teacher/pupil ratio is not one that will enhance quality. The World Bank’s emphasis on quality when it comes to buildings and furniture – and the availability of funding from TFET – do not seem to be echoed in the area of human resources that depend on the current budget." East Timor Observatory

Portuguese:
Nov 30 2000 OTL: Emprego e desemprego após um ano de intervenção internacional  Report added Mar 29
"A taxa de desemprego continua a ser preocupante, sobretudo nas cidades, por ainda se manter nos 80%. A situação é particularmente sensível em Díli, onde coexistem duas sociedades com modos e níveis de vida muito distintos. ... As qualificações dos candidatos aos empregos, em particular para a função pública, devem ser ajuizadas em função das realidades locais e não no âmbito de um quadro importado, estranho a essas realidades. É neste sentido que, desde a chegada da UNTAET, o conhecimento da língua inglesa se apresenta como uma qualificação prioritária para a administração das N.U., mas não para Timor Leste."   Observatório Timor Leste

Nov 30 2000 ETO: Employment & unemployment one year after int'l intervention  Report updated Mar 29
"Unemployment - still at around 80% - continues to be a major concern, especially in East Timor's cities. The situation has become highly sensitive in Dili, where society is clearly two-tier, divided by very different ways and standards of living. ... The qualifications of job applicants, especially those of applicants to the civil service, ought to be adjusted to match the local reality, rather than have to adhere to an imported, out of touch framework. In this respect, ever since UNTAET'S arrival, English language skills have become a priority requirement for the UN administration - not for East Timor." East Timor Observatory

Dec 5-6 2000 CNRT/CNP: Brussels donor's meeting - opening speech by the CNRT's rep  Added Dec 7
"Processes are too slow, funds disbursement is excessively sluggish and procurement processes are unnecessarily top-heavy and costly. The Timorese understand completely the need to maintain the rigorous management of internationally donated funds, but they find it hard to understand how, with the resources available, that after nearly one year following the Tokyo Conference, Dili is almost in the same state. A worse scenario, which hurts one's soul to witness, can be seen throughout the rest of the country." Xanana Gusmao