The SNDP intends to eradicate poverty in the Maliana community
This time, the consultation about the Strategic National Development Plan (SNDP) that has been carried out by the Prime Minister, took place in the Maliana sub-district, Bobonaro district, .
Before beggining the SNDP consultation, the Prime Minister, in a symbolic gesture, launched the first stone for the construction of the Ecclesiastic Chamber Building of the Maliana Diocese, and then followed on to a few other different locations.
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão was clothed, by the elders, with traditional clothes and accompanied by his wife, Kirsty Sword Gusmão and by the local authorities, was welcomed with traditional ceremonies accompanied by tebe-dai and bidu dances interpreted by children, performance that lasted right up to the gymnasium building where the population from the seven sucos was already waiting.
The Maliana interim sub-district Administrator, Alcino Pires, referred that Maliana is composed of seven sucos and 39 villages, 13,306 of them men and 12,914 women, in a total of 25,220 inhabitants and 5,541 heads of family, one hospital and a recent diocese, inaugurated on the 25th of April.
With an area of 195,31 km2, the sub-district is confronted, to the east by the Bobonaro sub-district, to the west by Balibó and Atabae, to the north by the Cailaco sub-district and to the south by the Lolotoe sub-district and the Indonesian territories.
The Administrator pointed out that the majority of the population still dedicate themselves to agriculture and taking into account the lack of rainfall, he mentioned the MTCI rice provision to the Head of the Executive. He regretted the lack of response regarding a proposal for the delivery of tractors (where others proposals sent after these have already been contemplated), the lack of tables in schools, the need to repair the Tunubibi Terminal, the lack of electric energy lines for distribution in the rural areas, potable water, infrastructures for disable persons, the salary increase to the Directorate of Environment, the existence of a Forest Law strong enough in what concerns the interdictions, the increase on the number of forest guards, the improvement of touristic areas and the renovation of the Gymnasium building.
The community leaders, in their turn, presented their concerns about roads, potable water, electricity, retirement home for elders and the necessity in definition about property titles to avoid confrontations between sucos regarding the property regime.
Faced with this issues, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão started by advising the Maliana and the Cailaco people not to turn their back on each other. The Prime Minister promoted tranquillity and suggested that both people dedicated themselves to land cultivation for the support of the family, while the Government will take care of the development of the basic infrastructures in order to answer to the people’s needs for the future.
The Members of the Government also had the opportunity to answer to questions presented by the sub-district Administrator and by the community leaders.
The Prime Minister, attending to these concerns, pointed out that the State already had draft the 2020 Strategic Plan (initiated in 2001) and with the continuity of this SDNP, the achievement of improvement of these concerns, which should happen between 2011 and 2030.
Accompanying Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão were the General Vicar of the Maliana Diocese, the Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, Gil Alves, the Minister of State Administration and Territorial Planning, Arcângelo Leite, the Secretary of State for Livestock, Valentino Varela, the Secretary of State for Natural Disasters, Jacinto Rigoberto, the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, Miguel Manetelo, the Secretary of State for Public Works, Domingos Caeiro and the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Marcos da Cruz.
