Recomenda ao Governo a realização urgente de auditorias
Tendo em conta o debate de urgência realizado no Parlamento Nacional no dia 5 de Outubro de 2010 sobre o fornecimento de electricidade;
Face ao agravamento da ocorrência de interrupções repentinas e prolongadas no fornecimento de energia e ao número crescente de danos sofridos pela população em resultado das mesmas;
Considerando a ausência de medidas urgentes para assegurar as necessidades essenciais da população e o serviço de fornecimento de energia eléctrica com qualidade;
Considerando as verbas elevadas previstas nos orçamentos dos últimos três anos para a área da electricidade;
Considerando, por fim, que nos últimos três anos não se verificou qualquer melhoria no fornecimento de energia eléctrica;
O Parlamento Nacional resolve, nos termos dos artigos 92.º e 95.º n.º 1 da Constituição da República, o seguinte:
1. Recomendar ao Governo a realização urgente de uma auditoria externa, independente e pormenorizada à gestão da Electricidade de Timor-Leste;
2. Recomendar ao Governo a realização urgente de uma auditoria externa à execução do contrato celebrado com a empresa “Manitoba Hydro International”;
3. Recomendar ao Governo a realização urgente de uma auditoria externa ao processo de aprovisionamento para compra de geradores para a Central de Comoro em Díli;
4. Recomendar ao Governo a realização urgente de uma auditoria externa ao processo de aprovisionamento e execução da obra “Construção da Nova Central Eléctrica, linhas de Transmissão e Supervisão”;
5. Instar o Governo a investir em fontes de energia renováveis;
6. As auditorias referidas nos pontos 1, 2, 3 e 4 são realizadas e os respectivos relatórios concluídos e remetidos pelo Governo ao Parlamento Nacional até 31 de Março de 2011.
GOVERNU DE FACTO NIA GESTAUN AAT BA FUNDU MINA RAI RESULTA MONU KLASIFIKASAUN HUSI NUMERU 3 IHA 2008 TOO 10 IHA 2010
Husi Vice Xefi Bancada Deputado Sr. Francisco Branco
Sr. Presidenti,
Iha loron 28 Setembru 2010, bancada FRETILIN halo deeklarasaun politika kona ba proposta husi companhia ida naran “Asian Champ Investments Ltd” (ACI) neebe hakarak:
1.Ministra de facto autoriza sira foti Billaun1.2 Dolares husi osan fundu mina rai iha sira nia conta ida neebe “blokeadu” iha Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation.
3.Iha tinan ida tan sira sei pormete atu fo entrega fali osan $1.2 billoens ba estadu Timor-Leste nian.
4.Sira fo ba Ministra de facto loron sanulu resin lima atu nia hatan.
Bancada FRETILIN kestiona tamba sa mak governu, liu husi Ministra Finansas la transparente kona ba kestaun ida nee no bancada FRETILIN suspeita katak nia hakarak duni subar aspectu ruma kona ba proposta ida nee.
Bancada FRETILIN hatama ba meza rekerimentu formal neebe ezigi Ministra Finansas entrega ba Parlamentu Nasional documentus hanesan tuir mai:
1.Proposta husi companhia ACI kona ba sira nia proposta atu foti US$1.2 billoens husi ita nia fundu mina rai atu investe iha Shanghai Hong Kong Bank;
2.Ministra nia carta haruka proposta ba Conselho Assesoria ba Investimentu Fundu Mina Rai nian (IBA) iha ingles;
3.Relatoriu husi Conselho Assesoria ba Investimentu Fundu Mina Rai nian (IBA) iha ingles;
4.Relatoriu husi BPA kona ba ACI.
Sr. Presidenti,
Tuir bancada FRETILIN assuntu ida nee mosu nudar teste boot ba governu de factu nian vontade politika kona ba transparensia iha gestaun fundu mina rai ita nia Povo nian. Bancada FRETILIN hein resposta lalais husi Ministra Finansas maibe too agora seidauk simu informasaun ida. Ministra Finansas mos seidauk halo comentariu ruma kona ba assuntu ida nee, ka atu esklarese assuntu ida nee. Ema barak mak agora husu mak ida nee, “Subar saida”?
Hanesan ita hotu rona, semana liu ba, loron 20 Outubru 2010, Conselho Ministros halo desizaun kona ba esbosu proposta lei alterasaun ba lei fundu mina rai.
Ita bele dehan katak porposta hirak neebe governu divulga, sei halo fraku ita nia sistema controle be fundu mina rai. Proposta hanesan:
·Hasai limite halo investimentu neebe risku hanesan “stockmarket” husi 10% ba 50%, no bele halo mos investimentu iha “real estate” ka “rai no uma”, no investimentu seluk neebe iha risku boot tebes;
·Halo fraku obrigasaun iha lei fundu mina rai tuir neebe agora dadaun governu tenke explika ho detalhus tamba sa mak atu hasai osan boot liu rendimentu sustentavel;
·Atu hatama gestor ka operador seluk neebe bele halo substituisaun ba BPA;
·Alterasaun ba rekerimentu kona ba deklarasaun estrutura no bens ba Conselho Assesoria ba Investimentu.
Sr Presidenti,
Akontesimentu ho companhia Asian Champ Investments la too ba Ministra Finansas ida nee. Nia hakarak halo fraku tan ba ita nia fundu mina rai nia sustentabilidade, transparencia no responsabilidade. Nia no nia kolegas husi rai seluk hakarak halo sistema neebe primeiru governu constitusional no primeira legislatura aprova neebe iha tinan 2008 hetan klasifikasaun numeru 3 husi fundus nasionais hotu iha mundu tomak.
Iha 2008 Peterson Institute ba Dezenvolvimentu Ekonomiku neebe halo peskisa no klasifika fundus iha mundu, deklara katak tamba mekanismu transparensia, sustentabilidade no responsabilidade neebe vigora iha ita nia lei fundu mina rai, ita nia fundu sei numeru 3 diak liu iha mundu.
Kona ba kriteriu transparensia ita nia fundu mina rai sai numeru 2 iha mundu, diak liu Noruega nian, neebe rekonesidu nudar transparente no responsavel liu.
Maibe maluk sira, tamba governu de facto ida nee nia hahalok iha tinan tolu liu laran, Peterson Institute klasifika ita nia fundu ba numeru 10 iha mundu fali. Sim, numeru 10, liliu tamba politizasaun ba fundu no nia sustentabilidade no transparensia monu makas.
Agora ita hotu bele hare katak proposta altera lei fundu mina rai sei halo mekanismu transparensia no sustentabilidade fraku liu. Liliu, em ves de husik BPA ka Banco Central neebe independenti, sira hakarak lori kolega husi rai seluk mak halo gestaun ba fundu mina rai, ita nia Povo nian. Agora dadaun, desde harii fundu, BPA, Timor oan mak halo gestaun ba fundu ida nee no hanesan ita hare kona ba kazu Asian Champ Investments sira mak trava proposta atu hanauk ita nia Povo nia osan. Keta haluha ministra haruka ba Conselhu Investimentu Fundu nian, em ves de trava. Se laos sira, maibe malai ruma neebe la iha interese nasional mak halo desizaun, ita hotu husu, resultadu bele oin seluk karik.
Resultadu bele oin seluk liliu tamba investimentu barak neebe bele loke dalan ba ema bele hanauk ita nia Povo nia osan bele akontese, no ita sei la hatene too osan lakon ona. Se mak la fiar katak ema bele nauk ita nia Povo nia osan entaun hare took ba rain Naruru neebe lakon sira nia fundu tomak tamba fiar malai sira mak atu kaer gestaun investimentu sira nia osan.
Se mak la fiar katak companhia investmentu neebe uluk ema fiar naran Lehman Brothers, no nia director principal Senhor ida naran Berni Madoff neebe hetan condenasaun ba comarca iha America ba tinan 150 tamba nia nauk no lakon investor nia osan iha montante US$64 billoens, dala sanulu boot liu ita nia fundu mina rai.
Coitadu ba ita nia Povo, se osan nee lakon hotu dalan ida deit. Ital abele dehan katak sei la akontese tamba akontese ona ba rai balun neebe uluk riku, agora kiak tebes, hanesan Islandia neebe tata rai tamba sira nia bankus halo investimentu neebe risku liu no lakon sira nia riku soin hotu iha tinan 2008. Agora sira prosesa sira nia Primeiru Ministru iha tempu bainhira sira nia bankus halimar no la halakon Povo nia osan.
Povo Timor-Leste tomak tenke preokupa, tamba sa mak ita nia fundu mina rai neebe uluk numeru 3 iha mundu monu ba too numeru 10. Depois de mandatu Sr. Xanana nian hotu ita nia fundu sei monu too numeru 1000 karik? Tempu too ona atu trava estragus neebe Sra Ministra Finansas de facto no nia belun husi rai seluk halo ba ita nia fundu nia credibilidade no seguransa ita nia Povo merese ba sira nia riku soin.
Government covers up attempt to scam Petroleum Fund
A foiled attempt to scam US$1.2 billion from Timor-Leste's petroleum fund illustrates the risks involved in the Gusmao government's efforts to relax the fund's investment guidelines, FRETILIN MP and party Vice President Arsenio Bano warned today.
Mr Bano said legislation introduced by the former FRETILIN government and unanimously approved by all parties in Parliament in July 2005, provided sufficient safeguards, rules, checks and balances to foil the attempt by a Singaporean company to scam the fund in September 2009.
“The company put an investment proposal to the de facto Finance Minister Emilia Pires, that was obviously highly questionable but that she thought it was good enough to pass on to the fund's investment advisory board," Mr Bano said.
The board unanimously rejected the proposal and urged Ms Pires to follow normal investment guidelines.
"Despite this, Ms Pires was given a green light by the Council of Ministers last week, on 20 October 2010, to present new investment guidelines to make the fund more 'profitable', including in private equities and in real estate. We are concerned that changing these relaxation of the investment rules will allow similar risky investments as the one proposed in this instance."
"Currently petroleum funds can only be invested in safe, Treasury-guaranteed bonds. But Ms Pires proposes to allow up half the fund to be invested in the stock market, other private equities, real estate and other high-risk fast buck schemes. Are scams like this one acceptable to her? Our people are entitled to know what this de facto government intends to do with their money."
Local NGO Lao Hamutuk has published the results of their research into the September 2009 proposal by Asian Champ Investments Ltd ("ACI") represented by Datuk Edward Ong, the President of Sutera Harbor, the company behind Pelican Paradise's proposed "five-star hotel" project in Tacitolu, Timor-Leste.
Lao Hamutuk reported that ACI asked Ms Pires to "deposit $1.2 billion in cash from the Petroleum Fund into ACI's ‘blocked’ account at Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation. They said they would pay 7.5% interest in advance and return the money in a year. ACI told the Minister to make a decision within 15 days, and she asked the Petroleum Fund's Investment Advisory Board (IAB - a group of advisers appointed by the Minister of Finance under the Petroleum Fund Law) for advice. The IAB unanimously sent a memo http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/PetFund/ACI/IABAsianChampSep09En.pdf which was only released a year later, recommending against ACI's proposal and urging that normal investment processes be followed, which do not include investments in cash."
Mr Bano said FRETILIN questioned Minister Pires in parliament on 27 September 2010 but she avoided the issue. The following day, FRETILIN formally requested the government to provide MPs with copies of the minister's letter to the IAB, ACI's proposal, and the Banking and Payments Authority (the country's quasi central bank in development) report to the Minister on the company ACI Ltd. Again the minister ignored the issue and has not provided any public responses despite nearly a month having lapsed.
"We have grown to expect this level of arrogance, lack of accountability and lack of transparency by this de facto Finance Minister. We strongly suspect she is covering something up. Given the seriousness of this matter, it cannot be left in the dark, especially given her intentions to relax the investment guidelines for our people's petroleum fund. Our people have a right to know exactly what role, if any, she and other members of her government played in this attempted scam," Bano added.
Lao Hamutuk also complained about the lack of cooperation from the minister and some of her agencies, saying, "In November 2009, La'o Hamutuk learned about this attempt to scam the Petroleum Fund, and researched ACI, which may or may not exist. Our repeated requests for information from the Banking and Payments Authority (BPA), IAB and Ministry of Finance were declined or ignored. The Ministry asked us to delay publishing, which we did, although their promised information never came."
Mr Bano said the FRETILIN-drafted petroleum fund law is "based on the utmost transparency and full disclosure, not secrecy. We demand these documents be made public so that all Timorese can access them to know how their fund is being managed, and how this de facto minister proposes to invest their money in the future. The government is now moving to change these rules, adding more risk to the investment of our fund."
Mr Bano said a much publicized proposal for a five star hotel and golf course on the outskirts of Dili, Pelican Paradise, promoted by Datuk Edward Ong of Sutera Harbor, has inexplicably stalled after much initial fanfare.
"The Timor-Leste government even allocated US$11 million in the 2009 budget to build a water recreation park next to the proposed hotel and golf course, which has not gone ahead either.
"They say, there was no link between the hotel and the ACI proposal, but we cannot be sure until we have seen all the documents. There must be full transparency on this matter. The future transparent and prudent management of our fund is at risk right now because of the government's proposed changes."
Link to the Lao Hamutuk full report:
http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/PetFund/ACI/10AsianChampInvestment.htm
For further information please contact Arsenio Bano on +670 741 9505 or fretilin.media@gmail.com
Parliament votes to condemn Gusmao Government’s incompetence in electricity sector
Timor-Leste's National Parliament on Tuesday October 19 voted to condemn the government’s “inaction” and “incapacity” to manage electricity generation and supply, and demanding wide ranging and detailed audits of its management of the power sector over the last three years. Parliament reflected unprecedented prolonged and persistent public outrage with the country’s regular and prolonged power cuts.
Speaking in Dili today, FRETILIN MP and former Minister Inacio Moreira said that the unprecedented support which the FRETILIN-proposed resolution received from all parties sitting in the National Parliament, reflected the concern and frustration that MPs from all parties shared with the public due to the parlous state of Dili’s electricity.
“The passing of the resolution shows how the Gusmao de facto government has failed in its management of the power sector, even in the eyes of the AMP parties. Despite huge electricity budgets - USD$219.9 million over three and a half years, and US$83.2 million this year alone - representing tenfold the annual budgets when we were in government, the situation has gone from bad to worse. Even the majority of the government’s MPs can see this and voted to support our resolution, which seeks to audit the management of the electricity sector and try to urgently find solutions to the problems that currently plague it,” said Mr Moreia.
"We are not prepared to do what the de facto Prime Minister has been doing, which is to ignore the problems and leave the Minister for Infrastructure, Pedro Lay and his Secretary of State for Electricity, Water and Urbanization, Januario Pereira in their posts, despite clear evidence that it has been their mismanagement and incompetence that has resulted in these problems in the power sector.
“MPs from Mr Gusmao’s own party have openly conceded that these two ministers are part of the problem and can offer no solutions,” said Moreira.
The preamble detailed the fundamental reasons for the FRETILIN proposal, which followed an urgency debate on the state of the electricity sector in the parliament on 5 October:
In the face of worsening occurrence of repeated and prolonged disruptions in the supply of electricity and the growing number of damages suffered by the population as a result of same;
Considering the passivity of the government and the absence of urgent measures to secure the basic needs of the population and quality of the supply of electrical energy;
Considering in particular the total incapacity demonstrated by the Minister for Infrastructure and Secretary of State for Electricity, Water and Urbanization to solve the problem;
The resolution calls on the government to deliver “the results of an independent and detailed audit” to the National Parliament on or before 31 March 2011.
“We urge the government to heed the calls of parliament to seek out the cause of the problems plaguing Timor-Leste’s electricity sector and open the way for all parties in the national parliament to work together to find the solutions which it has been unable or unwilling to find on its own. This is matter of national interest and we hope the government treats it in that spirit. We cannot keep throwing money about without improvements in the continuity and quality of electricity supply, because it is affecting the development of our economy and a loss of faith by our people in the ability of government to deliver services,” Moreira warned.
For further information please contact Jose Teixeira MP on +670 728 7080
President’s warning on Gusmao Government's wasteful public spending too little too late
On 14 October 2010, Timor-Leste’s President Jose Ramos-Horta formally opened the new parliamentary year with a warning to the Gusmao government over its “waste” in public spending, but former Prime Minister and FRETILIN MP Estanislau da Silva noted that the President’s call for more “prudency, rigor and … sound criterion” is “too little too late”.
Mr da Silva said, “We say too little too late, because the tale of wasteful spending and corruption that has plagued government since 2007 has been already widely and roundly criticized. Yet the President continued to permit such large budgets to be promulgated without raising even the slightest concern. His warning is welcome but belated, and unfortunately billions have now been wasted without substantive benefits to the public”.
President Horta in his speech to parliament said that Timor-Leste now had more funds than it ever had since independence to spend on national development due to petroleum revenues, and called on the government to contain budget increases for public spending. He told MPs and the government who were present: “The development investment needs of the country are also many. The money must be spent prudently and rigorously, because it is not enough to meet all of the needs.
“Public spending is indispensable and may without doubt bring many benefits for the country, when it is done with prudency, rigor and on sound criterion,” he added.
The President said he supported public spending, especially in the form of some public transfers that have in his view assisted to develop the economy, “but I am not convinced that the same can be said in relation to the most part of other public spending. As is the case for example with some infrastructure spending, such as the rehabilitation of government buildings and other spending from budget line items associated with the acquisition of equipment, goods and services. Often, works, equipment and other acquisitions are purchased at exorbitant prices and the ultimate impact on the national economy is less than what it should be given the large amounts spent by the State.”
The President called on parliament to “guarantee greater rigor in budget execution, with respect to development capital spending. Badly invested capital, badly spent public money, is money wasted, and means less money available to be spent on needy projects.”
Da Silva said that the government would be seeking another budget increase, taking this next year’s budget to around US$1 billion, resulting in a total accumulated budget since 2007 of almost US$4 billion.
“This is an astronomical amount of money being spent in the last 3 to 4 years, with very little public benefit. But it has enriched a small socio-political elite linked to this de facto government by either family or party associations. We have been concerned about this trend from day one, and now we are glad to have the President come around to our point of view. But it is a bit late, now that so many billions have been spent. He must take his fair share of responsibility for allowing this to continue to occur until now,” warned da Silva.
Da Silva said, FRETILIN was concerned about the budget proposals, especially because of the waste, corruption and the inflationary impact it was having on the economy, warning that if the government continued to withdraw such large amounts from the Petroleum Fund, then the fund would be depleted within 5 to 10 years.
“All the Petroleum Fund money is going out and there is less and less money coming in from other non-oil and gas sources. As the President says, our people are not getting value for their money, with a few becoming very, very rich. But worst of all, the Fund will go bust if we are not careful,” da Silva warned.
For further information please contact Jose Teixeira MP on +670 728 7080
FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMIOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
Comunicado de Imprensa
Dili, 12 de Outubro de 200
"FRETILIN informa ministro Australiano: Timor-Leste não tem condições
para aceitar centro refugiados"
Em reunião realizada, hoje, dia 12 de Outubro de 2010, na sede da
FRETILIN, entre uma delegação da FRETILIN chefiada por Dr. Mari
Alkatiri, Secretário-Geral do partido e ex-Primeiro Ministro da RDTL e
uma delegação Australiana, chefiada por Sua Excelência, o Ministro da
Imigração da Austrália, Sr. Chris Bowen, foi abordada a proposta do
governo Australiano quanto ao estabelecimento, em Timor-Leste, de um
Centro de Processamento de dados para os refugiados.
Dr. Mari Alkatiri apresentou os seguintes pontos de argumentação à
delegação Australiana:
1) O Centro de Processamento de dados para os refugiados
constitui uma questão de carácter regional e internacional pelo que
não deveria ser foco de discussão bilateral.
2) Os cidadãos, rumam para a região onde se inserem os dois
países, por razões sociais, económicas e políticas. O estado
Timorense está consciente das suas obrigações internacionais mas,
institucionalmente, Timor-Leste não tem condições para acomodá-los;
3) Há questões sérias por resolver em Timor-Leste, tais como: i)
a questão da terra, da propriedade imóvel e do seu título; ii) a
questão da segurança e da justiça ; iii) a pobreza do povo de
Timor-Leste, em todas as dimensões, etc…. Um Centro de Refugiados
estabelecido nessas condições geraria assim conflitos com
consequências imprevisíveis ;
4) A rejeição, por unanimidade, do Parlamento Nacional, quanto à
construção do Centro em Timor-Leste, deve ser respeitada pelo
Governo Timorense. Dr. Mari Alkatiri reiteirou, no entanto, queT
imor-Leste mantem-se coerente no cumprimento das suas obrigações
regionais e internacionais.
Para mais informacoes contacte Jose Teixeira +670 7287080
FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMIOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN
Media Release
Dili, 12 October 2010
FRETILIN: Timor-Leste Not Ready to Have Asylum Seeker Centre on its Shores
In a meeting held in Dili on 12 October 2010, at FRETILIN headquarters, between a FRETILIN delegation headed by party Secretary General and former Prime Minister of the RDTL Dr. Mari Alkatiri and the Australian delegation headed by His Excellency The Honorable Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, the issue of a proposal by the Australian government to establish an asylum seeker processing centre in Timor-Leste was discussed.
Dr. Alkatiri presented the following points to the Australian delegation as to why Timor-Leste does not have the conditions to accept the Australian government’s proposal of an asylum seeker processing centre:
1) The Asylum Seeker Processing Centre is an issue of a regional and international character and should not be the focus of bilateral discussions.
2) Citizens from around the world flock to the region in which Australia and Timor-Leste exist for social, economic and political reasons. They search for an “oasis”, and that is Australia. It makes no sense to bilaterally frustrate the dreams of these world citizens to seek a better life for them and their kin. The Timorese state is conscious of its obligations under international law, but, institutionally, Timor-Leste does not have the conditions to accommodate them.
3) Timor-Leste still has numerous very serious issues to resolve, including the following three; the question of land and property rights; the issue of security and the administration of justice; chronic poverty for much of its people, in all forms. An asylum seeker processing centre set up amongst such inadequate conditions will generate conflicts with unforeseen consequences.
4) The unanimous rejection by the National Parliament of the Australian government’s proposal to establish such a centre must be respected by the Timor-Leste government.
Dr. Alkatiri reiterated in the meantime that Timor-Leste remains committed to complying with its regional and international obligations.
For further information please contact Filomeno Aleixo on +670 734 0383
_svg.png)
