DILI, 26 august 2024 (TATOLI) – One of Timorese’s government efforts so far is sending Timorese workers abroad on behalf of ‘G to G’ cooperation; therefore, among other things, today, the government, through the Secretary of State for Vocational, Training, and Employment (SEFOPE), sent more 241 Timorese workers to South Korea.
“The government, through SEFOPE, will send 241 Timorese workers to South Korea on 28 august 2024. Of 241 people will work in fishing companies,” the Secretary of State, SEFOPE, Rogerio Araújo Mendonça, told reporters at Delta Nova, Dili, on Monday.
For Timorese workers who will depart for South Korea, Mendonça advised them to be disciplined and obey all applicable regulations, including not to get out of the system in an illegal way.
“Follow the applicable regulation to be trusted by the company owners, and do not escape from the system to conduct the illegal way, thus paving the way for other Timorese workers to continue working in South Korea in the future, and also hoped that Timorese workers can take the new experience and then will be implemented in Timor-Leste after return from South Korea,” he said.
The executive also calls on all Timorese workers to save the revenue that they gained in order, after returning to their homeland, to be able to build houses for families and invest it in Timor-Leste to contribute to the economic growth.
The Deputy Ambassador of Korea, Park Sungheui, stated that Timor-Leste and Korea have established their bilateral cooperation relations since 2022 until now; therefore, South Korea will continue to support the Government of Timor-Leste through the SEFOPE program by sending many Timorese workers to work in South Korea.
“On behalf of the Korean government, I thanked the Government of Timor-Leste through SEFOPE, which has sent a lot of Timorese workers to Korea. We are proud because through this program they can collect money and can support the economy of their families,” Park Sungheui, Deputy Ambassador of South Korea in Timor-Leste, pointed out.
Park Sungheui advised Timorese workers to take this opportunity in helping the government diversify Timor-Leste’s economy in the future.
“You are the representative of Timor-Leste to work in South Korea; the future of the nation is in your hands, and don’t forget to improve the life of your family in Timor-Leste,” she concluded.
So far, bilateral cooperation between Timor-Leste and South Korea has been running since 2002 until now, and from 2009 until now, the Government of Timor-Leste, through SEFOPE, has sent over 6500 Timorese workers and continues to send Timorese workers based on the request of the company’s owners in South Korea. From that number had entered the remittance of $ 1 billion to their family, where that money circulated in Timor-Leste to improve the family ‘s economy and to diversify the growth of the economy in Timor-Leste.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
