The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers and

Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste

 

Díli, January 14, 2010

 

Government does not endorse Sino Green Land assertions in media statement

 

The Government was perplexed by a recent media statement distributed globally by a company called Sino Green Land. No member of the Government endorsed, aided, supported, or approved any cooperative agreement with Sino Green Land in tandem with ‘local representatives’, assumed to be members of the private sector, for the importation of fresh produce.

Additionally, no such products as listed in the media release by Sino Green Land would be allowed to enter the country; given Timor-Leste’s strict quarantine laws.

The Government has made significant advancements and put considerable resources toward empowering the development of our local domestic market, increasing our domestic agricultural supply and shifting subsistence farming to market oriented agriculture to support economic development in our communities.

The Government would not welcome any investment proposal that would disadvantage our progress in agriculture, or put our local farmers and markets at risk.

The ambiguous statements made by the company were inaccurate and misleading; the Government has notified the public relations representatives of Sino Green Foods that a full retraction of the statement is required.