MHESC has submitted an application to the Ministry of Finance to provide a budget for students to continue their studies in China.
MECS is provided an application letter to respond to the Association of Timorese Students in China (ATSC) requirement. It is referring to the china scholarship students from Timor-Leste.
The requirement focuses on government support to bring back Timorese students to continue studying in China.
128 students who are studying in China but are currently still in Timorese affected by covid-19. 90% are scholarship recipients and the rest are self-financing.
Those students returned to the TL in late 2020. The students face various reasons due to passport processing which can only be done in the TL, long vacations, and the health crisis caused by COVID-19 in Wuhan province and other cities in China.
ATSC has previously tried to coordinate with the Chinese Embassy in Timor-Leste to provide an opportunity to return to China to continue studies, but the mobilization process requires support from the Government of Timor-Leste.
Related news:Timorese Students Evacuate Wuhan
The Minister of MHESC, Longuinhos dos Santos said a letter was sent to MF regarding this issue. Therefore MHESC required confirmation from the Minister of Finance.
MF is still analyzing the human capital development HCDF’s budget to ensure the students will be able to go back to China.
“Unfortunately, FDCH funds are not available. Thus, I sent another letter to MoF”.
“I conveyed to the Council of Ministers that there was an answer from Minister MoF (Rui Gomes) that he would look into this and it would be answered as soon as possible,” Minister Longuinhos dos Santos told Tatoli exclusively after attending the Council of Ministers meeting.
The official added that at this time, the ministry is not yet responding to how much money would be spent to support the students but the existing funds would later be used to pay for tickets and quarantine processes in China.
Related news:ATSC requires the government to facilitate Timorese students to continue studying in China
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Rafy Belo
