The Secretariat of State for Professional Training and Employment (Portuguese acronym SEFOPE), through the National Directorate for Employment, delivered certificates to 62 supervisors involved in road renovation work (Cash for Work program), 6 supervisors from the Work Team and 2 supervisors from the Data Survey Service.

The Secretary of State for Professional Training and Employment, Bendito Freitas, highlighted that “attributing competencies to the district supervisors, as a way of decentralisation, has brought good results to the rural roads rehabilitation program, in 2008, 2009 and 2010, in all districts in Timor-Leste. The government understands that it shouldn’t execute all the tasks of the national development process alone, that it is important to cooperate with the local community, with the Church and with the national and international partners”.

Bendito Freitas thanked the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Timor-Leste for the cooperation that has been maintained with the SEFOPE, as well as the support by providing Engineering training to the district supervisors, aiming at increasing their capacity.

The purpose of the rural roads rehabilitation program is not only to increase the quality but also to improve the method used by SEFOPE in the attribution of services without distinction of sex or age, which, by their action and respective income, can bring benefits to their families’ livelihoods.

The Secretary of State also added that the roads rehabilitation project, in this year of 2011, will continue to benefit the rural communities that have yet to receive this support.