DILI, 14 november 2022 (TATOLI) – The Mahein Foundation (FM) has called on the government to reopen border zone market between Timor-Leste and Indonesia to prevent illegal crossings.
“Communities at the border area always commit the illegal crossings to engage in illegal trading activities, especially in Batugade, Mota-Ain, Mota-Masin, Suai, and Oe-Cusse,” FM acting director Manuel Amaral told TATOLI at his office in Dili.
He said that as communities frequently cross the border to Atambua from West Timor to buy goods, saying the re-opening of the border market would help reduce community involvement in illegal trade.
Amaral recommended that the government of Timor-Leste and Indonesia should work together to reopen border market as before to prevent illegal passage.
Border market would also help border security to control the movement of communities in the border area.
Last month, a team from the delegation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, led by the Governor of Kupang, Victor Bangtilo Laiskodat, and the Governor of the National Defence Institute of the Republic of Indonesia, Andi Widjajanto, met with the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, and the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta to discuss the development of the Free Trade Zone (FTZ), which had previously been discussed by President Horta and his Indonesian counterpart Widodo in july, in Jakarta.
President Horta and Prime Minister Ruak and the Indonesian authorities prefer that the Free Trade Area be established in the near future.
The technical preparations will be carried out by the two countries, hoping to kick off the development of the FTZ, in november or december, 2022.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
