The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo, met with the delegation from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to talk about innovative solutions for the development of Timor-Leste. The meeting took place on May 13th, 2015, at the Government Palace, in Díli.
The UNDP delegation was comprised by the Resident Coordinator, Knut Otsby, by the Regional Head, Joseph D’Cruz, and by the Regional Director, Noura Hamladji.
On that occasion, the UNDP representatives made a presentation on the possibility of using the purchase power from the Government of Timor-Leste, in order to stimulate the economy and attract investments from entrepreneurs, either national or foreign.
Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo has expressed his appreciation for the UNDP support to the Government, as well as the wish to strengthen that cooperation even further.
The Head of the Executive asked UNDP, as a United Nations organization in Timor-Leste, in order to provide technical advice and assistance on priority areas, through the nomination of an economic policy advisor, aimed to work with the team from the Prime Minister’s Office. This request is aimed at implementing the plans and ideas presented in order to be included in the General State Budget for 2016.
As a means to develop the country’s economy, UNDP suggested to the Timor-Leste Government to make a review of the legislation on land and property and encourage banks to extend credit to entrepreneurs. Another factor also important to promote the development of Timor-Leste, in his view, is the guarantee of a stable environment, enabling a smooth running of the governance.