The Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes, said on February 6th, 2023 that the Community Resilience Program, phases I and II, established through bilateral cooperation between the Timor-Leste Government and the Australian Government to finance the construction of small-scale infrastructure in Villages (Sucos), has already benefited 390 Villages, out of the 452 Villages in Timor-Leste.
“This large investment worth 27 million Australian dollars has already benefited 88 Villages in 419 small-scale projects. These projects are divided into 230 potable water and sanitation projects, 106 road and bridge projects, among others”, said Minister Rui Gomes in his speech at the Signing Ceremony of the Australian Government’s Direct Budget Support to the Program “Community Resilience and Economic Recovery of Timor-Leste, during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic – phase three”, at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, in the Ministry of Finance.
The Minister also added that since June 2022, more than 13 thousand beneficiaries from the Municipalities of Ainaro, Bobonaro and RAEOA have also received the Bolsa da Mãe – Nova Geração (Mother’s Allowance – New Generation) payment after the Government launched this Program. This support is critical to bring positive changes to pregnant women and children who suffer from malnutrition and were previously not included in the Bolsa da Mãe program.
Based on the success of the previous two funding packages, with a total of 27 million Australian dollars (in the year 2020, 7 million Australian dollars, and in the year 2021, 20 million Australian dollars), the Government of Australia has decided to offer another 20 million Australian dollars (almost US$ 14 million) for the year 2023, i.e. bringing the total amount of this support to 47 million Australian dollars.
Of the US$ 14 million for the year 2023, US$ 4.7 million will be used to continue funding the PNDS program and will be distributed to the 452 villages throughout Timor-Leste. In addition, US$ 7.05 million will be allocated to the Bolsa Mãe – Nova Geração (Mother’s Allowance – New Generation) and US$ 870,000 will be assigned to the Labour Mobility Program to send Timorese to work in Australia, including continued support for Timorese workers returning from Australia to Timor-Leste to reintegrate into business and economic activity.
This amount will be transferred directly to Timor-Leste’s State Treasury account, which the Ministry of Finance manages. This shows a sign of confidence that the Australian Government gives to Timor-Leste’s Treasury System and fulfils the principle of the Foreign Aid Policy to the Government of Timor-Leste for the year 2019, said Minister Rui Gomes.
The signing ceremony of the Direct Budget Support Agreement – phase three, between the Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste, John Feakes, took place during the first official visit to Australia of the Prime Minister, General Taur Matan Ruak after he took office as Prime Minister of the 8th Constitutional Government.
This amount, with the total allocation in the 2023 State Budget for the PNDS program (US$ 23 million) and the Bolsa Mãe Nova Geração program (US$ 19.2 million), will help the Government of Timor-Leste to achieve its overall employment-related commitments, including the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal number 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and number 5 (Gender Equality) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.