The Timor-Leste Ministry of Public Works, in cooperation with the Highway Department of Public Works from the Philippines, are developing a training course for 29 technical staff from the Ministry of Public Works, in Díli. The training session began on August 29 and will end on October 26, and focuses on issues related to infrastructure, planning, quality, control and maintenance.

The Minister of Public Works, Gastão Francisco de Souza, stated that “these training sessions are important to increase our human resources’ capabilities in the Ministry of Public Works.”

Gastão Francisco de Sousa highlighted that “this partnership between the Ministry of Public Works and the Highway Department of Public Works from the Philippines, marks another important step in the cooperation with ASEAN neighbouring countries,” and appealed to the trainees to learn and acquire experience from the technicians from other countries. “We are confident that this cooperation will benefit the development of Timor-Leste,” added the Minister.

The trainees are from the National Directorate of Roads and Flood Control (9 people), the National Directorate for Identification (5 people), the National Directorate for Research and Development (6 people), the National Directorate for Housing and Urban Planning (5 people) and from the Project Management Unit (4 people).