DILI, 30 may 2023 (TATOLI)– Manager of the Association of Cooperatives of Persons with Disabilities (AoCoPwD), Evaristo da Conceição, said the cooperative has saved around $90,000 in their cooperative accounts.
This association was founded in 2017 and supported by the Secretary of State for Cooperatives.
“Since the formation of the Association of Cooperatives of Persons with Disabilities in 2017, the association registered a total of 400 members with disabilities from Timor-Leste, and currently the cooperative saves around $90,000,” Evaristo da Conceição, told TATOLI at his office in Mascarenhas, Dili on Tuesday.
He explained that new members of the cooperative will invest $35 as cooperative capital and after becoming mandatory members, they are required to invest $5 per month to ensure continuity of savings and loans in the ADTL cooperative.
“The ADTL Cooperative has provided savings and loans to customers according to the saving ability of its members. Meanwhile, the money will be borrowed by the members or other customers who need a budget to start their business to improve their standard of living by returning contributions or paying fees, which is 3% for all customers,” he said.
According to Conceição, many clients managed to borrow money well because all this time they were fully supervised by the ADTL cooperative structure, about the rules of borrowing money.
Conceição also thanked the Secretary of State for Cooperatives (SSC) for the support provided to the Cooperative in the management of the cooperative as well as materials including two computers and a subsidy of $14,000 to support the ADTL Cooperative’s administrative operations in Timor-Leste.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
