Fahe osan de’it

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Rezultadu ida hosi diskusaun Parlamentár nian ne’ebé taka ba públiku mak aumenta tokon $64 ba “Transferénsia Públiku” iha orsamentu estadu 2014, ne’ebé sei hamenus transparénsia, kontabilidade no boa governasaun. La’o Hamutuk triste ba buat ida ne’e, no triste ba deputadu sira ne’ebé hakarak atu fahe de’it Timor-Leste nia rekursu petróleu ne’ebé limitadu ne’e ho la kuidadu.

Iha tinan balu foin daudauk ne’e, Timor-Leste gasta maizumenus 20% hosi nia orsamentu ba “Transferénsia Públiku” – pagamentu ba ema ka instituisaun sira ne’ebé labele kontrola ho kontratu, la liu tender ka la liu prosesu aprovizionamentu sira seluk no dala barak la husik surat tahan ida ba osan sira ne’e nia ain fatin. Parte boot hosi transferénsia ne’e mak hodi benefisia veteranu sira, maibé iha 2013 Timor-Leste transfere tokon $197 ba benefisiariu ho variedade ne’ebé luan liu. Ba 2014, Governu proposta tokon $292 iha transferénsia, no Parlamentu hasa’e ida ne’e ba tokon $336 hodi aumenta tokon $64 ba transferénsia foun hodi aumenta sa’e, montante ida ne’ebé hanesan ho orsamentu tomak Ministériu Saúde nian.

La’o Hamutuk koko atu foka sai ida ne’ebé boot tebes, maske dokumentu no alterasaun sira nee husik informasaun barak no ami bele la komprende se mak sei simu transferénsia ne’e.

Adesaun loloos iha transferénsia maka tokon $44, tanba Parlamentu hasai tiha tokon $20 ka lori hakat ba kategoria orsamentu sira seluk. Parte boot hosi redusaun 11 mak:

• Tokon $10.5 (96%) hosi Diresaun Nasionál Terras no Propriedade iha Ministériu Justisa, ne’ebé muda ba despeza bens no servisu no la ko’a sai hosi orsamentu tomak
• Tokon $5 (kua 96%) hosi Fundu Kontribuisaun ba Instituisaun Sosiál iha Todo Governu nia okos
• Tokon $2.2 (kua 67%)  hosi Konstributoriu seguransa sosiál iha Ministériu Solidariedade Sosiál

Parlamentu aumenta ka hasa’e transferénsia iha liña orsamentál 17, ho total tokon $64. Sira ne’ebé boot liu mak:

• Tokon $20 (foun) ba kapitalizasaun Banku Central Timor-Leste iha Todo Governu nia okos
• Tokon $20 (4000% sa’e) ba Zona Ekonómiku Espesiál Oecusse, iha Ministériu Presidensia Konsellu Ministru nia okos
• Tokon $5 (242% sa’e) ba Ajénsia Kooperasaun Timor-Leste iha Ministériu Negósiu Estranjeiru (hodi desmobiliza forsa armada sira iha Guinea-Bissau?)
• Tokon $5 (200% sa’e) ba g7+ iha Todo Governu nia okos
• Tokon $5 (67% sa’e) ba Kontribuisaun Finansial iha Todo Governu nia okos (atu selu ba FMI?)
• Tokon $1 (foun) Diresaun Polítika no Dezenvolvimentu Jéneru iha Sekretáriu Estadu Promosaun Igualdade
• Tokon $1 (28% sa’e) ba Diresaun Edukasaun Fíziku no Desportu iha Sekretáriu Estadu Juventude no Desportu (ba Federasaun Football Timor-Leste?)
• Tokon $1 (foun) ba gabinete Ministra Solidariedade Sosiál
• Tokon $1 (12% sa’e) ba Ministériu Petróleu no Rekursu Minerais (servisu auditoria ba Autoridade Nasionál Petróleu?)
• Tokon $1 (20% sa’e) ba Komisaun Nasionál Eleisaun (hodi fó ba partidu polítiku sira?)
• Tokon $1 (20% sa’e) ba pensaun vitalisia iha todo Governu nia okos
• Tokon $0.8 (foun) ba Sekretária Estadu Fortalesimentu Institusional

Infelizmente, alokasaun hirak ne’e la inklui iha orsamentu ne’ebé detallu ne’ebé Governu propoin ba Parlamentu iha Outubru liu ba nia rohan, no Parlamentu halo prosesu “konsensu” ne’ebé lalais iha semana ne’e, ne’ebé la bele fó konsiderasaun ne’ebé sufisiente. Fasil tama, fasil sai.

Handing out the Cash

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One of the outcomes of the Parliament’s closed-door budget discussions is $64 million in increased “Public Transfers” in the 2014 state budget, which will reduce transparency, accountability and good governance. La’o Hamutuk is saddened by this development and by the readiness of Parliamentarians to hand out Timor-Leste’s limited petroleum wealth without careful thought.

In recent years, Timor-Leste has spent about 20% of its state budget on “Public Transfers” – payments of money to individuals or institutions which are not controlled by contracts, tenders or other procurement processes and which often leave no paper trail. The largest part of this is for veteran’s benefits, but during 2013 Timor-Leste transferred $197 million to a wide variety of beneficiaries. For 2014, the Government proposed $292 million in transfers, and Parliament is increasing this to $336 million by adding $64 million in new and increased transfers, an amount about the same as the entire Ministry of Health budget.

La’o Hamutuk has tried to figure out what the biggest ones are, although documents and amendments leave out much information and we may have misunderstood who some of the recipients will be.

The net addition in transfers is $44 million, as Parliament removed $20 million or shifted it to other budget categories. The largest of the 11 reductions are:

• $10.5m (96%) from the National Directorate for Land and Property in the Ministry of Justice, which was changed to a Goods and Services expenditure and not cut from the overall budget
• $5m (96% cut) from the Contribution Fund for Social Institutions under Whole of Government
• $2.2m (67% cut) from Contributory Social Security in the Ministry of Social Solidarity.

Parliament added or increased transfers on seventeen budget lines, totaling $64 million. The largest are:

• $20m (new) to capitalize the Central Bank of Timor-Leste under Whole of Government
• $20m (4000% increase) for the Oecusse Special Economic Zone, under the Ministry for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
• $5m (242% increase) for the Timor-Leste Cooperation Agency in the Foreign Ministry (to demobilize armed forces in Guinea-Bissau?)
• $5m (200% increase) for the g7+ under Whole of Government
• $5m (67% increase) for Financial Contribution under Whole of Government (to pay IMF dues?)
• $1m (new) for the Directorate of Gender Policy and Development in the State Secretariat for Promotion of Equality
• $1m (28% increase) for the Directorate of Physical Education and Sports in the State Secretariat for Youth and Sports (for the Football Federation of Timor-Leste?)
• $1m (new) for the office of the Minister for Social Solidarity
• $1m (12% increase) for the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (audit services for the National Petroleum Authority?)
• $1m (20% increase) for the National Elections Commission (to give to political parties?)
• $1m (20% increase) for pensions for former high office-holders under Whole of Government
• $0.8m (new) for the Secretary of State for Institutional Strengthening.

Unfortunately, these allocations were not included in the detailed budget the Government proposed to Parliament at the end of October, and Parliament’s rushed “consensus” process this week does not provide for sufficient consideration.  Easy come, easy go.

Halo buat barak, iha tempu uitoan de’it nia laran, no laiha ema ida mak tau matan

Buat ne’ebé mak “Komisaun Eventual” halo durante semana ne’e

Link to this blog in English

Parlamentu Nasionál kria ona “Komisaun Eventual” ida ne’ebé taka ba públiku atu hare alterasaun ba proposta Orsamentu Jerál Estadu 2014 ne’ebé Governu halo ho montante biliaun $1.5. Komisaun ne’e hala’o hela sira nia enkontru daudauk ne’e ba loron 3-5, atu analiza ba alterasaun 426 ne’ebé Deputadu sira propoin ba orsamentu, no atu hetan konsensus entre deputadu sira. La’o Hamutuk sente katak ida ne’e nudár pasu ba kotuk ida ne’ebé sériu teb-tebes ba ita nia demokrasia, tanba sidadaun sira iha direitu atu rona diskusaun no votasaun ba asuntu importante barak. Públiku mós presiza atu hatene saida mak Deputadu sira dada ba mai, saida mak Deputadu sira hakarak atu goza no kompromisu hirak ne’ebé sira halo ona... no mós saida mak Deputadu sira deside atu la ko’alia sai.

Iha tempu ida ne’ebé badak teb-tebes nia laran, La’o Hamutuk koko analiza ba alterasaun proposta 426, no buat hirak ne’ebé ami foka liu mak ba alterasaun 92 ne’ebé bele muda dollar tokon ida ka liu. Buat hirak ne’e inklui:

• Alterasaun 59 mak ko’a orsamentu ho valor tokon $1 ka liu, hodi halo redusaun hamutuk tokon $467
• Alterasaun 33 ne’ebé aumenta tokon $1 ka liu, hodi halo aumenta hamutuk tokon $260
• Lina orsamentál 17 ne’ebé duplu ka liu
• Lina orsamentál 33 ne’ebé sei ko’a metade ka menus

Alterasaun hirak ne’e mai hosi deputadu sira hosi partidu polítiku sira hotu. Deputadu balu iha hanoin atu kansela projetu orsamentu sira ne’ebé ho planeamentu fraku liu ka projetu sira ne’ebé nia kustu as demais; no deputadu sira seluk hakarak atu aumenta projetu ne’ebé mai hosi motivu pesoál ka rubrika sira ne’ebé Governu haluha durante preparasaun orsamentu nian.

Proposta boboot sira ba aumenta nian mai hosi deputadu sira hosi Partidu CNRT, inklui:

• Tokon $60 atu kria Fundu Finanseiru Internasionál ida hodi fó empresta osan ba governu Cabo Verde
• Tokon $30 ba kapitaliza Banku Central Timor-Leste ne’ebé haluha durante preparasaun orsamentál
• Tokon $26 ba Transferénsia Públiku ba Zona Espesiál Oe-Cusse
• Tokon $15 ba sentru dadus nian ba Ministériu Finansa
• Tokon $14 iha Kapitál Dezenvolvimentu nian ba Zona Espesiál Oe-Cusse
• Tokon $14 tan ba Fundu Kontrapartida iha Ministériu Obras Públiku
• Tokon $10 hodi suporta desmobilizasaun grupu armadu iha Guinea-Bissau
• Tokon $10 tan hodi suporta atividade sira g7+ nian
• Tokon $10 tan ba Ministériu Obras Públiku nian ba estrada rural, ne’ebé foti hosi SEPFOPE
• Tokon $8.3 tan ba konstrusaun edifísiu Ministériu Finansa
• Tokon $6.9 hodi selu quota membru nian ba FMI
• Tokon $5.0 tan ba servisu legal nian
• Tokon $2.5 tan atu sai uma na’in ba simeira CPLP nian

Besik ko’a boot sira ne’e mai hosi proposta deputadu FRETILIN nian:

• Tokon $86 hosi projetu kapitál barak iha Fundu Infrastrutura
• Tokon $55 hosi Transferénsia Públiku, inklui Diresaun Nasionál ba Terras no Propriedade, SEPFOPE, ADN, Fundu Sosiedade Sivíl nian
• Tokon $43 hosi Bens e Servisu, inklui servisu profesional nian, seguransa alimentar, eletrisidade
• Tokon $26 hosi Ajénsia Dezenvolvimentu Nasionál (ADN)
• Tokon $19 hosi Dezenvolvimentu Distritál nian (PDID) (alterasaun hat)
• Tokon $14 hosi projetu Oe-Cusse nian iha Fundu Infrastrutura
• Tokon $13 hosi programa uma MDG-Suco
• Tokon $9.9 hosi Kapitál Minor iha Ministériu balu
• Tokon $9.8 hosi Fundu Dezenvolvimentu Kapitál Umanu iha rubrika balu
• Tokon $7.5 hosi Dezeñu Projetu Foun iha Fundu Infrastrutura
• Tokon $6.0 hosi aeroportu Suai

Maioria proposta alterasaun iha de’it sentensa uitoan ba esplikasaun no justifikasaun. La’o Hamutuk hakarak Deputadu sira iha Komisaun Eventual hodi susesu iha sira nia servisu ida ne’ebé kontroversial, barak liu, ne’ebé halo ho lalais, no importante teb-tebes ne’e. Rata-rata, sira iha de’it tempu menus minutu tolu atu deside kada alterasaun hosi mudansa 700 iha orsamentu estadu 700.

Karik hakarak atu hatene liu tan informasaun kona-ba Orsamentu Jerál Estadu 2014 nian, ita-boot sira bele vizita ami nia pájina web.

So much to do, so little time, with nobody watching

What the “Eventual Committee” is doing this week

The biggest addition would lend $60 million to cash-strapped Cabo Verde.

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Timor-Leste's National Parliament has created a closed-door Ad hoc Committee ("Komisaun Eventual") to consider amendments to the Government’s proposed $1.5 billion General State Budget for 2014. This Committee is meeting now, for three to five days, to analyze and reach consensus on the 426 amendments which Members of Parliament have proposed.

La’o Hamutuk feels that this is a serious setback for democracy, as citizens deserve to hear the discussion and voting on many significant issues. The public also needs to know what trade-offs, horse-trading and compromises are being made … as well as what the Members have decided not to talk about.

In the short time available, La’o Hamutuk has tried to analyze the 426 proposed amendments, focusing our attention on the 92 amendments which would change a million or more dollars. These include:

• 59 which cut the budget by $1 million or more, totaling $467 million in reductions
• 33 which add $1 million or more, totaling $260 million in additions
• 17 budget lines which would be doubled or more
• 33 budget lines which would be cut by at least half

Amendments come from members of all political parties.  Some are intended to cancel poorly planned or over-budgeted projects; others are to add pet projects or items which were forgotten during the Government’s preparation of the budget.

The largest proposals for additions come from CNRT Party members, including:

• $60 million to create an International Financial Fund to lend money to Cabo Verde’s government
• $30 million to capitalize the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, which was overlooked earlier
• $26 million for Public Transfers for the Oecussi Special Economic and Social Zone
• $15 million for a data center for the Ministry of Finance
• $14 million in Development Capital for the Oecussi Special Economic and Social Zone
• $14 million more for the Counterpart Fund in the Ministry of Public Works
• $10 million for equipment for the new Ministry of Finance Building
• $10 million to support demobilization of armed groups in Guinea-Bissau
• $10 million more to support g7+ activities
• $10 million more to the Ministry of Public Works for rural roads, to be taken from SEPFOPE
• $8.3 million more for the Finance Ministry office building
• $6.9 million to pay Timor-Leste’s membership quota for the IMF
• $5.0 million more for legal services
• $2.5 million more to host the Lusophone (CPLP) summit

Nearly all the large cuts were proposed by members of FRETILIN:

• $86 million from various capital projects in the Infrastructure Fund
• $55 million from Public Transfers, including DNTPSC (Land and Property), SEPFOPE (Vocational Training), ADN, and the Civil Society Fund
• $43 million from Goods and Services, including professional services, food security, electricity
• $26 million from the National Development Agency (ADN)
• $19 million from District Development (PDID) (four amendments)
• $14 million from Oecussi projects in the Infrastructure Fund
• $13 million from the MDG-Suco housing program
• $9.9 million from Minor Capital in various ministries
• $9.8 million from the Human Capital Development Fund in various items
• $7.5 million from New Project Design in the Infrastructure Fund
• $6.0 million from Suai airport

Most of the proposed amendments have only a few sentences of explanation and justification. La’o Hamutuk wishes the Members of the Commission Eventual success in their controversial, huge, rushed and critically important task. On average, they will have less than three minutes to decide on each of the proposed 700 changes to the budget.

See La'o Hamutuk's web page for more information on the budget process.