DILI, 22 July 2022 (TATOLI)– The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed a $6.2 million grant agreement with the Government Ministry of Finance for use in the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Project (YEES).
This Grant Agreement represents the good work of UNDP, MTCI, SEFOPE, and the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports (SSYS), and the generosity of Development Partner, KOICA.
UNDP Deputy Resident Lazima Onta Bhatta said UNDP is a development partner committed to supporting Timorese youth by providing training to prepare them to compete in any job market.
“We will provide soft skills training that will benefit many young Timorese, in particular, preparing them to access job opportunities, but also requires cooperation with the government through MTCI, SEFOPE, and IADE to ensure all training programs can achieve good progress,” Lazima Onta Bhatta said in his remarks.
Bhatta also said that the project hopes to directly benefit more than 24,000 Timorese youth, including returning migrants from Korea, Australia, and other destinations. The indirect beneficiaries will be more than 10,000 including family members of youth entrepreneurs.
At the same event, the Korean Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Jeong ho KIM said he is very pleased to sign an agreement with the Timor-Leste government on financial support for the YEES project by offering training to Timor-Leste youth to improve their skills in assessing the job opportunities.
The Korean government is happy to assist Timorese youth in job creation after completing their contracts in South Korea, Australia, and even Europe.
Since 2009 more than 4,000 Timorese workers have been sent to South Korea to work in manufacturing and fisheries while in October last year, Korea received more than 700 Timorese workers to work in South Korea.
The Ambassador said the South Korean government through the Korean Corporation Agency (KOICA) provided additional financial support of 7,320,946.67 USD. This grant will be used for six years.
Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes considered Timor-Leste has a significantly higher rate of unemployment and the lowest rate in the country’s economy.
He said for young people aged 15-24 years, the unemployment rate is significantly higher at 9.6% compared to unemployment of 4.7% among adults aged 25-64 years, while the country’s economy also reached the lowest growth rate in 2020 due to a combination of factors including, a prolonged political impasse, the restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19, and the inundations of 2020 and 2021.
“If this country wants to sustain growth, reduce poverty, and attract foreign investment, it is necessary to invest in human capital,” Gomes said
Regarding this issue, Gomes said the grant worth $6.2 million from KOICA, will be used for skills and entrepreneurship development over the next five years, preparing the Timorese youth for the job market.
“This grant is a sign of continuous commitment from the South Korean Government and the People of Korea to address the most needed services. Recently, we signed two important documents with KOICA worth $7.8 million for the “Say No to 5S grant project (Starvation, Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis, Skin diseases, Smoking, and Sugary/Alcoholic Drinks) in schools, and a $5 million grant for the “Digitalization of Chega! National Centre
for Conflict Reconciliation and Peace Building in Timor-Leste”
Minister Gomes at the same time, Thanked the Korean Government and the people of Korea for generous assistance to help Timor-Leste address one of the key challenges facing our young population and the economy today.
The Project will be implemented by the UNDP together with the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, and Industry (MoTCI), SEFOPE, and the State Secretariat for Youth and Sports.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia Borges
