| UNDP Report Shows Government Lacks Capacity |
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| Friday,March 24,2006 Posted: 08:39 BJT(0039 GMT) Timor Post |
Aristides Afonso, an economic lecturer at the National University, said indications by UNDP Human Report that poverty has increased in Timor-Leste, shows that the Government does not yet have the capacity to better the lives and development here. Afonso says that the Government must be open to all ideas and welcome all investment. He pointed out that when people invest a lot of money in this country they also want benefits and security for their money in the future. He added that whether the Government does or doesn’t have the capacity depends on which aspects one looks at and in considering some of them, it has the capacity to proceed, but in terms of economic development of the nation, he said the Government is lacking. Aristides Afonso said it could also be either lack of capacity or interest to carry the nation forward, pointing out that members of the Government are more interested in their personal business and trying to gain control rather than developing the economy of Timor-Leste. He said that to reduce poverty, conditions must be created for economic political changes, noting that the world is evolving and if Timor-Leste cannot adjust and adapt to the development process it will forever be poor. Afonso says there’s a yearly increment in the Government budget for development but the money is not used at all because the projects do not create conditions for employment opportunities. He added that whenever the budget increases, it should favor the living conditions of the people and the development process. (TP)
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