DILI, 9 January 2020 (TATOLI) – The head of Timor’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministériu Negosiu Estrajeiru no Kooperasaun – MNEK) is urging the Parliament to exempt his staff from restrictions on international travel, introduced in a bid to trim some 300 million dollars from the proposed 2020 budget.
The government ‘retired’ the OJE bill from parliament on December 3 after members questioned the size of the spending. The Council of Ministers then approved a revised, $1.67 billion budget on December 19.
MNEK Secretary-General Jorge Trindade Neves Camões said the the revised OJE 2020 reduces his ministry’s allocation from 28 million dollars to 25 million.
Related news: Council of Ministers Slashes $300m in Revised 2020 Budget
“The reduction of budget also causes the reduction in many of our programs, but we suggest to the [government] to maintain some priority programs such as international traveling, car installation, property sales, fuel…and technical assistance for all employees of MNEK,” Mr Trindade said.
The President of Parliament’s B Committee, Aderito Hugo, said MNEK should not be treated the same as other ministries.
“Ministry of Foreign Affairs is different… Its work is to establish relation[ships] and cooperation with other countries, and maintain partnerships with international organisations such as CPLP and ASEAN,” he said.
A lesson in cost-cutting for MEJD; barely a nick for MS
Education Minister Dulce de Jesus Soares revealed last week the travel ban also affects students due to travel to participate in competitions in Malaysia, Thailand, and Qatar, as well as teachers hoping to complete english training outside the country.

“We are very sad because in 2019 [the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport] shifted its policies on how to use the budget for travelling abroad… [so] we would not just support government members or employees, but students too,” Minister Jesus told parliament’s Committee G on Tuesday.
The Commission of Budget Revision (KRO), set up to decide where the 300 million dollars in savings should fall, also reduced the Ministry of Education’s 2020 allocation by 22 per cent to $89.5 million.
The budget is aimed at providing basic infrastructure in the construction and rehabilitation of schools. But the previous allocation of $100,000 for travel was cut to $50,000 by the KRO.
The Ministry of Higher Education Science and Culture (MESSK) loses more than 30 per cent of its allocation, down to $7.209.780. Minister Longuinhos dos Santos said that means a reduction in Portuguese language teachers, and the $1m fund to rehabilitate Timor’s traditional uma lulik ‘spirit’ houses slahed to just $200,000.
However, Primary Health Care Vice-Minister Elia dos Reis Amaral said the Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde – MS) would press on with its agenda for 2020, despite a small reduction in allocation from $59m to $56m (around 5 per cent).
“The plan is in terms of administration and services, and also… [we] will construct more than 15 health stations,” she said.
Other reductions include:
– Transport (MTK) from $21.75m to $10.79m
– Social welfare (SEPS): from $15m down to $11.4m
– Communications (SECOMS): from $6.58m down to $5.95m
– Justice (MJ): from $22m to $18.25m
– State Cooperation (SEKoop): from $4.56m to $3.2m
In an analysis of the revised budget sent to MPs last week, NGO La’o Hamutuk said it “appreciates” the reduction is overall spending, but ultimately the $1.7b OJE “still threatens Timor-Leste’s financial sustainability.”
“The Government has reduced allocations to programs and line items in a way that is inconsistent with the people’s urgent needs, but has maintained allocations to several line items that require further evaluation,” La’o Hamutuk said.
Unlike in some other countries, general budgets in Timor-Leste run along the calendar year (January-December), and OJE 2020 was originally due to be implemented by early December.
Parliament will resume budget discussions on Wednesday.
You can read more about the proposed 2020 OJE (in Tetum) broken down according to ministry here:
OJE 2020 ba MD ho F-FDTL Millaun $38,456
2020, MNEK Redús Orsamentu $28 Millaun Ba $25 Millaun
MS Redús Orsamentu Millaun Tolu Iha OJE 2020
Proposta OJE 2020 ba MTK Hetan Redusaun Millaun $10-Resin
Orsamentu 2020 ba MJ Redús Millaun Tolu-resin
SEKoop Nia Proposta Orsamentu 2020 Hatún ba Millaun $3,212
Orsamentu MEJD Redús Iha Transferénsia Públika No Viajen Estranjeiru
Journalist: Nelia Borges; Tomé Amado; Felicidade Ximenes; Eugénio Pereira
Editors: Rafy Belo; Francisco Simões; Robert Baird
Translation: Nelia Borges