Bernama - September 24, 2007 14:14 PM
Bangkok - AusAid and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have pledged up to US$18 million to assist the Timor-Leste government to fast-track much needed infrastructure projects that will accelerate growth and provide jobs and services for the Timorese people.
The fund would help them prepare, procure, and manage contracts, goods and works working through the Timor-Leste government's own systems, the Manila-based ADB said in a statement today.
The Australian government, through its overseas aid agency AusAID, will contribute US$13 million, and ADB will provide a US$3 million grant while Timor-Leste will contribute US$3 million to cover project management activities.
ADB said the infrastructure projects would be implemented over a four-year period starting this month.
Australia's contribution is part of an enhanced package of assistance, announced last month by its Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, to strengthen Timor Leste's economic management, including delivery of its significant capital works programme.
In the 2006-2007 period, the Timor-Leste government set aside US$119.7 million for capital development and nearly half of the 2007 capital budget are for roads, bridges, and other transport assets, and communications, water supply, sanitation and power infrastructure.
ADB said capital budgets are significantly underspent in Timor-Leste, and as a result, infrastructure and poverty reduction targets set under the Timor government's National Development Plan are at risk.
AusAid and ADB support will initially focus on adding to the government's technical capacity to deliver good projects that create thousands of jobs and improve public services, and later towards long-term capacity-building.
Timor-Leste is one of the world's newest nations and was internationally recognised as an independent democratic state in 2002.
The country, composed of 14,874 square kilometres of rugged terrain, lies northwest of Australia.
Nota de Rodapé:
Estranho como aparecem estes fundos, uma vez que o ADB tinha "secado" o seu apoio a projectos de infraestruturas. Será porque mudou o PM?
terça-feira, setembro 25, 2007
US$18 Million Aid For Timor-Leste
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1 comentário:
Resposta à nota de rodapé:
"ADB will provide a US$3 million grant"
Acho que esta frase diz tudo. Preparem-se os timorenses para depois pagar a dívida... com juros.
Quanto aos milhões, até poderiam ser triliões. Se o dinheiro bastasse para resolver a miséria, os EUA não teriam pobres. Se o dinheiro bastasse para criar "thousands of jobs", não haveria desemprego nos países do 1º mundo, a começar pela Austrália.
Portanto, resta saber para onde vai tanto dinheiro, sabendo que não há memória de um único "infrastructure project" ter sido apresentado pelo actual Governo de TL.
É que, julgava eu, primeiro fazem-se e orçamentam-se os projectos. Depois é que vem o financiamento, e não o contrário.
A não ser que lá no estado de Victoria seja diferente...
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