17 November 2010

Council of Ministers approves general state budget totalling US$ 985 million

Televizaun Timor-Leste, November 16, 2010 language source: Tetun - The Council of Ministers last Wednesday approved the general state budget for 2011 which is totalling US$ 985 million.

The amount of US$ 115, 909 million of the budget will be allocated to the wages of the Government officials, US$ 270, 459 million to be allocated to good services, including US$ 25 million for human development, US$ 164, 456 million for public transparency, US$ 28, 252 for minor capital and US$ 405, 924 million for capital development and US$ 317, 306 will be allocated to infrastructure building.

The Council of Ministers has also approved amount of money of US$1 billion* which will be allocated to humanitarian aid for tsunami and volcanic eruption victims in Indonesia, including funds for evacuating the Timorese students from the volcanic eruption in Yogjakarta.

* ETLJB Note: This amount is more probably $1 million not $1billion! Evenso, its an extraordinary amount of money for East Timor to be giving to Indonesia. Imagine how many new houses, schools or medical clinics that would build for the people of East Timor!

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Horta surprised with state budget for 2011 totalling US$ 985 Suara Timor Lorosa’e, November 16, 2010 language source: Tetun - President Jose Ramos Horta said he was surprised with the total amount of money for the state budget for 2011 US$ 985 that was approved by the Council of Ministers last Wednesday.

President Horta stressed that he was surprised with such a great of amount, as he was yet to have the Government’s proposal of the referred budget.

“I have not seen the proposal yet, I am surprised with such a great amount if I compare with the 2009-2010 general state budgets,” President Horta said. President Horta added that he is concerned about the great amount of the budget as the Government lacks the capability to execute it, particularly in the field of infrastructure. President Horta also called on the Government to reduce the numbers of overseas visit by the ministers.

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Government submits proposal of the general state budget for 2011 to the Parliament Suara Timor Lorosa’e, November 16, 2010 language source: Tetun - The Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP) Government yesterday officially handed over the proposal of the general state budged for 2011 totaling US$ 985 million to the Parliament.

MP Aderito Hugo da Costa from the National Congress for the Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) said the total amount of the general state budget for 2011 as presented by the Government reflected the Government’s policy.

MP da Costa recognized some failures in the budget execution, particularly in the capital development, adding that it happens due to climate change.

MP da Costa also said another obstacle was the change of the procurement system within the Technical Secretary of Procurement (STA).

“This is not only reason, but the record of presentation showed that the budget execution in 2008 reached 48% and it increases to 90% in the 2009, but it faces a problem in 2010 this is because of climate change,” MP da Costa said.

MP Fernanda Borges from the National Unity Party (PUN) and MP Francisco Miranda Branco from Fretilin said they were pessimistic with the Government in executing the general state budget, adding that the Government lacked capability to execute the budget.

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