“It was culture that gave us Independence”
“I’m honored when I bring the culture in my heart because it was culture that gave us Independence. It is in this perspective that I intend to explain culture in the context of this Plan”, defended the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, during the consultation regarding the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) in the Maucatar sub-district, on the 19th of July.
These were the Head of Government’s declarations after the intervention of Atanásio Francisco Tavares, one of the elders’ representatives in that sub-district, who suggested culture to be considered as one of the NSDP elements. Making use of the example of the elders attire (tais cloth with a white strip of cloth around the head) used during the reception to the Prime Minister, he reiterated the fact that after ten years of Independence, attention should be given to culture development.
Through the proverb Bai Bom Tuek, Ton Tolik Tane (solidarity in the good and bad moments), known throughout the world and also used by the Maucatar sons, Atanásio appealed to the Prime Minister for the Government to take culture into consideration.
The Maucatar sub-district Administrator, José Pina Cardoso, indicated that “the sub-district is composed of 8 sucos and 22 villages, with a total of 5 876 inhabitants within 114 km2 of area and having borders with Fatululik and Fohorem to the North. The natural resources of this sub-district are: the oil, sandalwood, and camim (Timorese oilseed tree whose seeds are edible), corn, beans and cassava”. *
“Ever since previous Governments and up to the IV Constitutional Government, security has always existed in the Maucatar sub-district. The problems faced by the population are related with the electrical energy, health, education and telecommunications and with the fact that the majority of the population are agricultural people”, underlined the Administrator. Jose Pina Cardoso also referred to the fact that, because the transportation network that connects the sub-district to the sucos are not repaired, they have a negative impact for local Government.
The Prime Minister’s party included the Secretary of State of Environment, Abilio Lima, the General-Director of State Budget of the Ministry of Finance, Francisco da Costa Soares, and the rest of the entities of the Maucatar sub-district.
* According to the OCHA data, Timor-Leste District Atlas, Version 02, August 2008 (seen in the internet).
