Administrative Decentralisation and Local Government Project disseminated in Ermera district
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão was in Ermera district on May 3, 2013. Ermera is the eighth district to be visited by the Governmental delegation in the framework of the dissemination of the Administrative Decentralisation and Local Government Project.
The Ermera District Administrator, Vítor dos Santos, told the Prime Minister that “our expectations to improve the life of the people of this district rely on the potentialities of natural resources and human resources, including economic activities, existing in Ermera district. In order to materialise these expectations, we came here today to directly listen to the wise words of the Prime Minister on the concept of municipality so as to enrich our ideas and reach our dreams”.
The Prime Minister explained that “we are gathered here to talk about the future that we are going to build, which implies the process of decentralisation, and this is why we need to talk about the concept of municipality. Some people say that this system serves to bring the Government and the State closer to the People. Others say that it is going to reduce bureaucracy, thereby enabling the Government and the State to react more rapidly to the needs of the districts and sub-districts. They are all correct! However, for Timor-Leste, we are looking for the most appropriate model, a model that is in harmony with our own social, economic and cultural situation, a model to be decided upon by ourselves.
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão concluded by calling upon the “people, particularly the intellectuals of Ermera, to develop a sustainable economy so as to free the People from poverty. The People built the State with much sacrifice. The People lost everything so as to have a better life in the future. I once again call upon the sons of Ermera to come together here to discuss the manner in which we can free the People from poverty through this “second independence process”.
The district of Ermera is made up of five sub-districts: Atsabe, Ermera, Hatulia, Letefoho and Railaco, and these are divided into 52 sucos. It has an area of 746 square kilometres and 118.700 inhabitants. The main economic activities are: coffee, farming agriculture, livestock, rice, tourism and freshwater fishing.
