DILI,29 march 2023 ( TATOLI)– The United States ( U.S) Government nominated Gigi Goodhart to serve as the Milineum Challenge Cooperation (MCC)’s Resident Country Director, and her Deputy, Jhon Crippen to lead the project of MCC in Timor – Leste.
Gigi has over 30 years of development experience, most recently working with MCC to lead a large-scale water, sanitation, and drainage project in Zambia, in Southern Africa. Gigi also has a background in community and institutional development, organizational management, and education.
Gigi is accompanied by her Deputy John Crippen. John is a professional engineer with over 30 years in the water infrastructure sector including development experience in South and Southeast Asia and will be overseeing the infrastructure component of the Compact here on the ground.
The Charge d’ Affaires of the U.S Embassy to Timor – Leste, Tom Daley said Gigi and her team will work closely with the government of Timor-Leste to begin to stand up what is known as the Millennium Challenge Account, or MCA.
“They have been experienced in the area of education and water sanitation, therefore they will work together with the Government of Timor – Leste to lead the project of MCC in Dili which will be implemented in 2024,” the Charge d’ Affaires Tom Daley told reporters at Media Roundtable discussion in the office of U.S. Embassy, Pantai Kelapa, Dili.
Tom Daley explained that MCC is an independent U.S. government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. It was created in 2004 and provides time-limited grants that pair investments in infrastructure with policy and institutional reforms.
Countries that were eligible to receive MCC funding meet rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption, and respecting democratic rights.
The projects of MCC Tom Daley, highlighted one way the United States Government is working to drive prosperity through the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s compact with Timor-Leste.
The compact enables the United States and Timor-Leste to make transformational investments over five years in the water and education sectors.
“The compact represents the largest single U.S. development contribution in the history of our relationship with Timor-Leste: $420 million from the United States and $64 million from the Government of Timor-Leste,” he said
Tom Daley, explain in detail that, MCC had Signed in July 2022, the Millennium Challenge Corporation – or MCC– compact aims to improve the health and skills of the Timorese population and contribute to Timor-Leste’s continued development and prosperity.
To improve the health of the Timorese population, the MCC compact will introduce Timor-Leste’s first centralized sanitation and wastewater treatment system and improve drainage for Dili benefitting over 300,000 people.
It will also construct a sodium hypochlorite generation facility to provide disinfectant chemicals necessary to purify the drinking water supply for four nearby municipalities, benefitting nearly 500,000 people living in and around Dili.
The infrastructure seeks to reduce the high incidence of water-borne disease, in an inclusive and climate-resilient way, all while complementing other government and donor investments in Dili’s water and sanitation system. This includes the work of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, which is also working on the water sector.
In addition, the MCC compact’s Teaching and Leading the Next Generation of Timorese project, known as TALENT, will improve student learning by investing in teacher and school leader education and training; it is expected to benefit nearly one million Timorese students over the next 20 years.
The MCC will serve as the primary entity to oversee the implementation of the Timor-Leste Compact. It will ensure the Compact is locally led and locally implemented and adhere to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. We expect the MCA to be inaugurated in late 2023.
“As we partner with Timor-Leste to lay the groundwork for the MCA, we expect the compact to officially begin in mid-2024. This will enable both the water, sanitation, and drainage project and the TALENT project to be implemented over the next five years.
MCC’s commitment to a strict five-year timeline is a key feature of its model. This timeline drives decisions and activities to ensure programs are completed on schedule to benefit the most people.
The Timor-Leste Compact reflects our desire to strengthen our enduring partnership with Timor-Leste, as we work together to advance our shared interests and values in building a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.
That Timor-Leste qualifies for a Compact after just 20 years as an independent country is a remarkable achievement. It speaks to the fact that our partnership is rooted in shared democratic values and a commitment to fundamental freedoms that Timorese and Americans alike hold dear.
Ultimately, this Compact demonstrates the U.S. commitment to investing in the Timorese people and to expanding opportunities to build a healthier, more secure, and more prosperous country.
“This compact is ambitious, it is transformational, and as such, it will take time to see results. Going forward, we will ensure to keep you apprised of major developments, and the U.S. of course remains open to any questions or feedback you may have as the project moves ahead,” he concluded.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
