Government of Timor-Leste

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Environment (Portuguese acronym MCIA), through the National Directorate of Trade Regulation, holds the Díli Weekend Market, in Colmera Street, to boost and encourage business activity in the center of Díli during the weekends.

This event will provide an opportunity to raise traders’ income; to create innovative traders - to develop the future of commercial activities and attract domestic consumers to purchase essential goods at the market - and will include a commercial area to diversify Tourism activities.

The Díli Weekend Market was launched on February 27^th and is planned to be a long-term program for the future, because, according to the organizing committee assessment, the achieved income is unusual. “On the basis of the last three weeks’ results, in which traders have earned a minimum of 100 to 500 dollars”, noted the National Director of Trade Regulation, Domingos Guterres.

The National Director of Trade Regulation added that with a budget of USD 7,000 that MCIA allocated for the creation of the Díli Weekend Market, the Ministry managed to gather a group of 70 microsalesmen within the following activities: cooking - using national products, crafts - produced by small industries, everyday life products and electronics, among others.

The MCIA continues to give all traders, including those from other municipalities, the opportunity to participate in this event. “We still have many places within the market premises, therefore, our goal is to occupy them until we have reached 300 salesmen”, said the National Director. Thus, all salesmen who are interested in participating in this weekend market should contact the National Directorate of Trade Regulation directly, through the MCIA telephone 77327394, in order to register and to obtain their tent number.

In the future, the MCIA opens up the possibility of asking salesmen to contribute to the state coffers. “We are starting to think about making a 'socialization' [a meeting to present a problem] to explain to salesmen the need to contribute in order to create better conditions. It is therefore important to contribute to the maintenance of basic infrastructure, such as bathrooms, drinking water, parking areas, electricity and sanitation. This payment will be a source of revenue for MCIA, but it is necessary to create a bank account so that the revenue is delivered directly into the state coffers. MCIA cooperates with municipal authorities to be able to provide for basic needs.”