Parliament increases 2011 budget by $320 million

During the budget debate, Parliament increased the 2011 expenditure  for the heavy oil power project by $282 million, and made other increases. On 28 January, they approved the budget after increasing the amount to be transferred from the Petroleum Fund to $1,055 million, which is $321 million above the Government's optimistic estimate of the sustainable income. This graph shows how the new budget compares with the proposed one, and with past expenditure levels.

Parlamentu Nasional aumenta gastu iha Orsamentu Estadu 2011 ba tokon $320, inklui tokon $282 ba projeitu oleu pezadu. Iha loron 28 Janeiro, sira aprova ona OJE, maibe hasai transferensia husi Fundu Petroliferu iha tinan 2011 to'o bilaun $1,055, $321 liu Rendimentu Sustentavel Estimatiza.  Bele hare mudansa iha grafiku tuir mai.

Aloka horseiik, gasta aban

Grafiku ne’e hatudu balansu iha Tezoriu (Konta Bankaria Governu nia ne’ebé la’o hela) iha fin husi kada trimestre, no mos montante ne’ebé transfere husi Fundu Petroleu ba Tezoriu kada trimestre. Balansu Tezoriu sa’e iha fin de kada tinan fiskal (Juñu 2007 no Dezembru 2008-2010), tanba Governu rai nafatin osan ne’ebé la uza husi Fundu Petroleu atu bele gasta fali iha tinan oin mai, hodi viola prinsipiu sira Lei Fundu Petroleu nian.

Iha tinan ikus 2010 nian, konta Tezoriu nian rai osan tokon $340, nivel ida ne’ebé too oras ne’e aas liu iha Timor-Leste nia istoria. Proposta orsamentu 2011 inklui tokon $141 husi ida ne’e, ne’ebé sai dalan ba governu atu gasta osan barak liu sein nesesidade atu hasa’e taxa no rendimentu sira. Ne'e metodu ida ne’ebé perigozu, halakon responsabilidade fiskal no orsamentu ne’ebé honestu.

Allocate yesterday, spend tomorrow

This graph shows the balance in the Treasury (the Government’s operating bank account) at the end of each quarter, as well as the amount transferred from the Petroleum Fund into the Treasury each quarter. The Treasury balance increases at the end of each fiscal year (June 2007 and December 2008-2010), because the Government saves unused money from the Petroleum Fund to spend in the following year, in violation of the principles of the Petroleum Fund Law.

At the end of 2010, the Treasury account held $340 million, by far the highest level in Timor-Leste’s history.  The proposed 2011 budget includes $141 million of this, which is a way for the Government to spend more money without having to increase taxes or revenues. It is a dangerous method, undercutting fiscal responsibility and honest budgeting.

Debate Orsamentu hahu iha Plenaria PN

Parlamentu Nasional Timor-Leste hahú  dekada ne’e ho debate orsamentu ne’ebé bele predikte ona katak sei la’o ho diskusaun plenária makaas kona-ba proposta orsamentu billaun dollar ba Orsamentu Jeral Estadu 2011. Iha konkluzaun husi diskursu ne’ebé naruk  Primeiru Ministru Xanana Gusmão husu ba ema hotu-hotu atu “mantein armonia i maturidade polítika, se ita la respeita valór diálogu ho direitu ba diferensa opinoens, nebé tenke konstrutivas.” Maibé, konstrutividade la bele determina deit husi rona nain sira, no la hanesan ho basa liman nebe la kritiku.

Hafoin intervalu han meiudia nian, Komisaun (C) Parlamentu Nasional nian ba asuntu Ekonomia no Finansas aprezenta relatóriu (Ingles ka Portugues) ho rekomendasaun barak. Entre rekomendasaun sira ne’e, Komisaun C rekomenda katak:

• Governu nia polítika ekonomia sira tenki bazeia ba data nebe sólidu.
• Tenki halo revizaun ba ajensia autónomu sira no inklui sira iha orsamentu estadu (liu-liu ajensia petroleu no jogo nian).
• Fundu kombate pobreza ba Presidente nian tenki kansela.
• Tenke aumenta prioridade ba sektor saude, edukasaun no agrikultura.
• Tenki  oferese informasaun kompletu kona ba kustu ba sentral eletrisidade Hera.
• Atu projeksaun folin mina nian halo ho prudente no konsistente liu.
• Fundu Espesial labele kria sein informasaun kompletu no fundasaun legal, no fundu infrastrutura boot demais.
• Osan hasai husi Fundu Petrloleu nebe la gasta tenki husik iha Fundu Petroleu iha tinan nia rohan.

Debate Plenariu ne’e sei gasta semana ne’e tomak, no desijaun ne’ebé sei halo bele, tuir Primeiru Ministru nia lian, “mai ita servisu hamutuk ba konsolidasaun no estabilidade polítika ho sosiál no ba kresimentu i dezenvolvimentu reál ba tempu naruk nian." Iha loron 14 Janeiru, tuku 7 kalan, Plenariu aprova orsamentu iha jeralidade, 43-21. Debate kona ba spesialidade atu kontinua semana rua tan.

Maski La’o Hamutuk koalia momos ona iha ami nia kritika no sujestaun sira kona-ba orsamentu ne’e, ami tuir PM nia esperansa ba futuru ida nebe diak liu ba Povu Timor-Leste. Ami husu ba membru Parlamentu sira hotu, lideransa no komentador sira atu hanoin  dook liu eleisaun tinan oin tanba ita-boot sira partisipa iha debate ida nebe importante.

Budget debate starts in PN plenary

[Liga ba pajina ida ne'e iha lian Tetum.] 

The National Parliament of Timor-Leste started the decade yesterday with the predictable vociferous plenary discussion of the proposed billion-dollar state budget for 2011.
At the conclusion of a long speech, (Tetum original) Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao urged everyone to "maintain political harmony and maturity, to respect the value of dialogue and the right to have different, although constructive, opinions." However, constructiveness should not be determined only by the listener, and is not the same as uncritical applause.

After the lunch break, Parliament's Economics and Finance Committee (C) presented an extensive report and recommendations. Read the complete Committee C report in English or Portuguese. Among other things, Committee C recommended that

• Solid data should underlie the government's economic policies.
• Autonomous agencies should be reviewed and included in the state budget (especially the Petroleum and Lottery agencies).
• The President's anti-poverty fund should be canceled.
• Greater priority should be given to health, education and agriculture.
• Complete cost information about the Hera power station should be provided.
• Oil price projections be more prudent and consistent.
• Special funds should not be created without complete information and legal foundation, and the infrastructure fund is too large.
• Unspent Petroleum Fund withdrawals should be left in the Fund at the end of the year.

The plenary debate ended on Friday evening, with 43 votes in favor of the budget in generality, 21 against (Fretilin), and one abstention (Manuel Tilman,  Kota). The debate on specifics and amendments will run for two weeks more, and the decisions made could, in the Prime Minister's words, "mark a new start for Timor-Leste, where we will work towards the consolidation of political and social stability and achieve real long term growth and development."

Although La'o Hamutuk has been outspoken in our critiques and suggestions about this budget, we join the PM in hoping for a better future for the Timorese people. We urge all Parliamentarians, leaders and commentators to think far beyond next year's election as you participate in a vigorous debate on the budget.

Konvite Diskusaun Publiku Lei ba Rai, 19 Jan.

Koalia kona-ba Rai iha Timor Leste komplexu no sensitivu tebes. Asuntu rai ne’e sai preokupasaun ema barak nian, tantu husi povu, estadu Timor-Leste nomos ema husi rai liur. Preokupasaun sira ne’e mosu tanba asuntu rai ne’e bele hamosu konflitu iha komunidade nomos difikulta prosesu dezenvolvimentu.

Ho razaun hirak ne’e Governu Timor-Leste  liu husi Ministeriu Justisa kria ona Esbosu Lei ba Rai atu regula se mak bele sai nain ba rai. Ministra Justisa halo konsultasaun Lei ba Rai iha distritu 13 iha 2009, no hetan aprovasaun husi Konsellu Ministru iha loron 10 Marsu 2010. Lei relasiona ho Rai ne’ebé  aprova inklui Lei ba Rai, Lei Expropriasaun no Lei Fundu Imobiliariu. Lei tolu ne’e atualmente sei iha Komisaun A, Parlamentu Nasional, no Parlamentu Nasional sei halo audensia publika kona-ba Lei ba Rai iha inisiu 2011. Husi parte seluk Sosiedade Sivil, Estudante Universitariu sira ho Komunidade rasik konsidera katak Lei ba Rai ne’e la bazeia ba prinsipius no valores moris Timor nian. Ita bele hetan nformasaun tan kona-ba asuntu Rai iha ne'e.

Ho razaun sira ne’e, La’o Hamutuk sei organiza Diskusaun Publiku ho tema “Oinsa Implikasaun Lei ba Rai ba Povu nia Direitu atu Asesu Rai.” Narador sira mak hanesan:

• Sr. Bernardo de Almeida nudar Asesor Legal iha Ministeriu Justisa
• Representante husi UNMIT
• Sr. Eusebio Guterres nudar Asesor Legal iha Organizasaun Laifet
• Sr. Demetrio Amaral nudar Peskizador ba Sistema Rai Tradisional iha Fundasaun Haburas.

Diskusaun Publiku ne’e sei hala’o iha:

Kuarta, 19 Janeiru 2011.      09:00 - 17:30 OTL
Fatin: Salaun Asosiasaun Hak, Farol (iha Embaixada Brasil nia oin)

Invitation to public discussion on Land Laws 19 January

Land is a very complicated and sensitive issue in Timor-Leste.  Many people, including grassroots people, the State and internationals, are concerned that land disputes can create community conflicts and also create difficulties for  development.

The Timor-Leste Ministry of Justice has drafted laws to regulate who can own land. The Justice Minister held public consultations in all 13 districts in 2009, and on 10 March 2010 the Council of Ministers approved three laws: the Land Law, the Expropriation Law, and the Compensation Fund. The laws are currently before Committee A of the National Parliament, which will hold public hearings early in 2011. From the view of civil society, university students, and communities, these laws are not based on the principles and values of Timorese life. Click here for more information about land in Timor-Leste.

La’o Hamutuk is organizing a Public Discussion on the theme “Implications of the Land Laws for People’s Rights to Access Land” with speakers:
•    Bernardo de Almeida, Legal Advisor on the Ministry of Justice
•    Representative from UNMIT
•    Eusebio Guterres, Legal Advisor in the organization LAIFET
•    Demetrio Amaral, researcher on traditional land systems from the Haburas Foundation

Wednesday, 19 January 2011   9:00 am to 5:00 pm
HAK Association meeting hall in Farol (across from the Brazilian Embassy)