Natural Resource Management

          A good deal of secrecy is still prevalent in how natural resources are managed by countries in the Asia Pacific (Apac) region, according to the Resource Governance Index released by the Revenue Watch Institute. The Index measures transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining industries in 58 countries worldwide, including 12 in Asia-Pacific where these industries play an important role.

         While none of the Apac dozen made it into the top “Satisfactory” segment, India, Timor-Leste and Indonesia made up the top three in the “Partial” segment. The Philippines and Mongolia were a little further back, but nonetheless showing progress toward a well-governed and accountable resource sector.
        The rest, however, were ranked as either “Weak” or – in the case of Afghanistan, Cambodia and bottom-placed Myanmar – “Failing”. In these nations, opacity, corruption and weak processes keep citizens from fully benefiting from their countries’ resource wealth, revealing a significant ‘governance deficit’.
        To determine how each country performs, the Index looks at four key areas of transparency and accountability:

• Institutional and Legal Setting: the degree to which laws, regulations and institutional arrangements facilitate transparency, accountability and open, fair competition.
• Reporting Practices: government disclosure of information.
• Safeguards and Quality Controls: the presence and quality of checks and oversight mechanisms that encourage integrity and guard against conflicts of interest.
• Enabling Environment: the broader governance environment, based on more than 30 external measures of accountability, government effectiveness, rule of law, corruption and democracy.

          While no country in the region received an overall satisfactory rating, the three leaders were all given satisfactory ratings in two of the four Index components.
          India, which made the list because of its significant petroleum reserves, earned an overall score of 70 with a satisfactory rating (above 70) for reporting practices thanks to its freedom of information law, and was also deemed to have satisfactory safeguards and quality controls.
          Timor-Leste, the baby of the bunch and one of the world’s newest countries, scored 68 overall but shone in reporting practices with a very credible score of 82 since it is the only country in the region to publish contracts with companies, though these disclosures are not routine. It also does well in terms of its institutional and legal setting. Neighboring Indonesia was also given a satisfactory score on this count, together with its safeguards and quality control, giving it a composite score of 66.
         Behind the Apac top three the Philippines makes the top half of the index with an overall score of 54, being relatively strong (Partial) in terms of it institutional and legal setting and also its reporting practices. Mongolia’s standout was for its institutional and legal setting which, at 80, is satisfactory but was deemed to be weak by other measures, resulting in an overall score or 51.
While Mongolia, together with Timor Leste and Indonesia can boast comprehensive oil, gas and mining legislation, including an independent licensing process and clear frameworks for resource revenue collection, the same cannot be said of Apac’s bottom seven.
       With the exception of Malaysia (46), regulating authorities do not publish environmental impact assessments or consult with communities prior to awarding extractive rights, giving a passable 60 for its enabling environment. While information on exploration and production is generally available, China (43), Papua New Guinea (43), Vietnam (41), Afghanistan (33), Cambodia (29) and Myanmar (4) publish very little information on resource revenues.
        It is worth noting that while Afghanistan was judged to be failing, it did receive a decent score of 63 on its institutional and legal setting, reflecting a growing body of law to govern its mining industry, which is expected to grow considerably.
       If Apac countries want to do better in terms of natural resource governance they should look to Norway as an example. The Scandinavian country topped the Resource Governance Index with a composite score of 98 and received the only perfect score (100) of any country in any aspect for its institutional and legal setting.

SOURCE: Eco-Business

Managing Natural Resources Revenues

Alastair McKechnie

This note describes the Timor-Leste Petroleum Fund and issues that have arisen in its implementation. This petroleum fund (PF) is considered by commentators and international financial institutions to be a good example of a sovereign wealth fund to manage petroleum resources in a fragile or post-conflict setting.

The note contains analysis intended to brief governments in similar settings looking at how to manage revenues from natural resources such as petroleum, minerals, hydroelectricity and forests. Such resources are depletable in the sense that they cannot be easily replaced, or alternatively face a rising cost curve so that developing the current project means its successors will produce more expensive unit output, for example in the case of large-scale hydroelectricity.

Exploiting these resources is equivalent to exporting the national wealth – ‘selling the family silver’ – which can either be consumed, for example in expanding civil service employment, or transformed into other assets that generate a stream of income for current and future generations.

An output of the following project:

Budget Strengthening Initiative

Programme: Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure

Full Report Here

Ilegal Fishing Patrol

Marine Police doing patrol in northern coast to prevent illegal fishing

 The Timorese National Police (PNTL)‚s Marine Police Unit is currently doing patrol in the northern coast of Timor-Leste to prevent illegal fishing and illegal transitions in the country‚s sea.

The Marine Police are on board the ship called Lusitania, doing patrol in the northern coast of Oe-cusse, Batugede, Dili and Manatuto.

"In our operations we cover the northern coast of the country, but it also depends on the weather. We should have a proper plan before doing patrol, so that we can achieve our objectives" he said.

An Indonesian technician who is currently helping the Marine Police said it was necessary for the Government to provide enough food for the police officers as they had been facing logistic shortcomings.

SOURCE: ETAN

Nino Konis Santana National Park Update

Exploring issues in Timor-Leste

By: Rosie Nic Cionnaith 
Published in the Donegal News, April 2013.

Nino Konis Santana National Park.

I am sitting on a beach, some 8000 miles from my home on the Fanad Peninsula, watching a group of men smoke a few large fish over a hastily-constructed fire. Children are cutting up plastic bottles to use as plates, an Australian aid worker strums her guitar in the shade, and my translator Maleve is emptying a huge pot of boiled rice onto a carpet of leaves. It is an impromptu community feast, and one of my most memorable days in this beautiful country – Timor-Leste, or East Timor as it was formerly known.

This beach at Tutuala is stunning, a picture-postcard scene of palm trees, golden sand and turquoise sea, but it is off the radar for most travellers. This is a country in the early days of nation-building, following centuries of colonisation and decades of violent occupation. After 400 odd years of Portuguese rule came to an end in 1975, East Timor was promptly invaded by nearest neighbour Indonesia. The 24-year Indonesian occupation of Timor was brutal, with over 100,000 Timorese fatalities. In 1999, following a referendum in which Timorese people voted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia, the country went into UN administration. It was finally established as an independent state in May 2002, making it one of the world’s newest nations.

Up until today, my company has been predominantly of the expat nature – Timor’s capital Dili has an astounding array of international NGOs. I have listened to the Timorese experiences of a vast number of foreign nationals. But today, Australian Deb Salvagno and I are in the minority. I have been staying with Deb at her home in Lospalos, gateway town to Timor’s first national park. There she works with local women’s cooperative CKTDS (Cooperative for Tais, Culture and Sustainable Development), and is pretty much ‘the only expat in the village’.

As soon as word spread that Deb and I were heading to Tutuala, the jeep quickly filled up with locals hoping for a day out at the coast. So here we are, hanging out in the national park, Timorese style. Ze, a young boy born in the year of independence, has commandeered my swimming goggles. A trio of teenage girls, one sporting a Union Jack t-shirt, insist on my taking their photo in a never-ending display of sultry poses. Everyone is singing along to ‘No Woman, No Cry’. And dinner is served, on a tarpaulin covered in leaves.

Driving through the Tutuala region, the beauty of the Nino Konis Santana National Park is striking. Declared a national park in 2007, this land area of 1236 square kilometres along with 556 square kilometres at sea was named after a Tutuala-born freedom fighter, leader of the FALINTIL resistance forces until his death in 1998. I have come here, inspired by the story of a people so concerned with their environment, that in the wake of such long-term national trauma they might consider designating an area for environmental protection. Considering that much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed during the conflict, there must surely have been a significant ‘to do’ list for the first decade of nation-building. So how did ‘create a national park’ make it onto that list?

Like many developing countries where the majority of the population depend on subsistence farming, there is a discernable level of environmental awareness here. Meabh Cryan, an Irish woman working for the Haburas Foundation, Timor’s most active environmental NGO, says “I think the environment is very important to the Timorese, even if people don’t articulate it in the same way as we do in Ireland. There is a respect, because there’s so much more of an immediate link, you live off the land on a day to day basis, you see the impact of your actions.”

For many, seeing their land and forests substantially degraded during the Indonesian occupation has heightened their desire to make environmental protection  a priority. Demetrio de Carvalho, an ex-resistance leader, is the founder of the Haburas Foundation. Like so many others, he spent several years in hiding in the forest, on the run from the threat of Indonesian attack.

“I was nine years old when the Indonesians invaded Timor-Leste. I fled to the mountains with family and relatives. Four and a half years in the jungle is an important lesson learned for me… the important resource for our life, it’s not technology, it’s environment, it’s our nature… we all depending on our nature. Our forest conditions back to 1973, it was about 60-65% cover – compared to 1999, our forest already declined down to 35%. So it means they destroy our forest land about 1.2% every year.”

Everyone I speak to agrees that the concept of having a national park is a good one, but the general consensus is that it is presently a much-flawed model. The main criticisms are that the current regulations don’t give due consideration to the 12,000 inhabitants of the six villages situated within the park boundaries. “We think about forest, bird life, but we can’t forget about the people. Why? If we give advantages to  one – to the forest, to the animals, to the people – there’s an impact on the other two”, my translator and guide Maleve Guerra expains.

Demetrio points out the villagers within the park are the natural custodians. “I myself criticise many times that national park is only a name. The conservation mechanism is already there. It’s very important to recognise the concept of conservation is part of Timorese life. The people will fight if we try to impose things.” But, with a post-conflict population explosion, how long can these traditional societies maintain an equilibrium with their natural resources? According to Charles Scheiner of local NGO La’o Hamutuk, which monitors and analyses the activities of international and government agencies in Timor-Leste, “The problem is that it was cultural and sustainable when Timor-Leste had 200,000 people. In ten years there will be two million people here, and it’s growing very rapidly.”

For forest communities who have lived off the land for generations, an inherited UN regulation for protected areas curtails both hunting and felling trees within the park (which villagers do for firewood, building houses and planting crops). Maleve argues that there has not been enough consultation with the communities, and that people don’t really understand what the law means. In fact, I arrange an interview with two forest policemen, whose job it is to enforce the law within the national park. Even they don’t seem terribly well-informed.

Juvinal Dias, a young man from Tutuala village, now working for La’o Hamutuk in the capital Dili, says that although villagers try to adhere to what they understand of the law, they often have no choice. “People still need the nature in the park for their life. If they cannot plant the corn in the forest, they will die because nothing to eat. If I have just one choice, cut the wood and plant the corn for my children, even if I know it’s not sustainable, it’s not good for future. But I want to live today! This is a challenge that people face in the area. They understand about protection, but about how to live also. Personally, I support the government decision for national park, but the government also need to diversify the economy for people. If they tell people don’t cut wood in there, government should be able to provide an alternative life for them.”

At the end of our day in Tutuala, I sit on Deb’s porch in Lospalos with Antonio da Fonseca, Chief of Tutuala village, chatting until the wee hours. He is passionate about his community, his environment. He is insistent that the only way forward is for the government to involve the forest communities in future legislation. “Who looks after the National Park? Not the government or state, but the people who have the land. The National Park was a strategy to win the 2007 election. It is not a priority to the government right now. But we have to consider that this is a new nation and we have to be forgiving of the government, and we must provide advice. The government can’t forbid people from doing everything. We’re frightened because of this. If the government decides to make really strong regulations, the community will resist.”

Fonseca can see the benefits of having a national park, primarily with regards to tourism. An intuitive leader, he has seen the damage that can be caused by mass tourism from his visits to Bali, but welcomes the idea of selective eco-tourism, catering for visitors who come for the right reasons. He knows that while his community fears change, they can’t avoid it. He just hopes they have a say in it.

Before we say ‘bon noite’, Fonseca thanks me for coming to speak with him. He has a great belief in the power of journalism. “We need pens to determine the future, not guns. These days, the Timorese government is not frightened of guns, but pens!” he says, throwing his head back and laughing his heart out. 

This article was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund. 

SOURCE ACCESSED: ETAN

Aquaculture On Mode

The government of Timor-Leste has developed a National Aquaculture Development Strategy, designed to help reduce high levels of poverty and chronic malnutrition throughout the country.

 

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Excellency Mariano Assanami Sabino, endorsed the strategy stating that combating poverty and malnutrition has been a foremost priority of the government since its independence in 2002.

 

Developed with assistance from WorldFish, the strategy spans from 2012 to 2030 and will focus on building new infrastructure and technical ability to support aquaculture enterprises, which will also lead to improved economic growth.

 

Excellency Assanami says that developing aquaculture will bring much needed benefits to the country.

 

“Aquaculture contributes to food and nutrition security and resilience, diversification of livelihoods of inland and coastal communities, and economic growth in Timor-Leste,” he says.

 

Fish provide animal protein, essential fatty acids and micronutrients like Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc and Calcium essential for a balanced diet.

 

It also plays an important role in supplying essential fats for brain development and cognition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.

 

Remarkably, fish also help the body to absorb micronutrients, particularly Iron and Zinc, from other foods in a meal.

 

The Minister adds that developing environmentally and economically sustainable fish farms will help increase household incomes for many of the poor by creating new job opportunities through small and medium-size businesses, and the sale of farmed fish.

 

New fish markets will also be created to reach families in need throughout the country.

 

Increasing the supply of fish in local markets will lower the price, making it more affordable for the poor, and helping to raise fish consumption levels.

 

The annual per capita consumption of fish in Timor-Leste is less than half of the global average at only 6.1kg, which The National Aquaculture Development Strategy aims to raise to 15kg by 2020.

 

“Increasing the average per capita fish consumption by 2020 will lead to a reduction in malnutrition rates and improved food and nutrition security. Aquaculture will increase the number of men, women and children in poor and vulnerable households deriving direct nutrition, food and income benefits from fish,” says Excellency Assanami.

 

Excellency Assanami was a signatory of the 2010 Comoro Declaration against hunger and malnutrition, which called for a nationwide plan and international efforts to realize food and nutrition security as a fundamental right of every person.

 

Financial support for the National Aquaculture Development Strategy was provided by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development through a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations trust-fund project, The Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme (RFLP) for South and Southeast Asia, and the USAID funded Coral Triangle Support Partnership led in Timor-Leste by Conservation International, with partners The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

 

Providing the people of Timor-Leste with the capacity to farm and eat highly nutritious fish will bring much needed health and income benefits throughout the small island nation.

 

# # #

 

WorldFish, a member of CGIAR, is an international, nonprofit research organization. CGIAR is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future.

 

For interview requests and further information please contact:

 

Holly Holmes
Communications and Donor Relations
WorldFish
Ph: +60 164 700 412 (cell)
       +60 4620 2270 (office)
E: h.holmes@cgiar.org

Source: World Fish Center

Dili Port

Vice Prime Minister follows-up monitoring process in Dili Port

The Vice Prime Minister paid a visit to the Dili Port on 27 March, 2013 to see in loco the monitoring work recently conducted by the National Directorate of Customs of the Ministry of Finance. Fernando La Sama de Araújo was accompanied by the Minister of Transports and Communications, Pedro Lay, and the Vice Minister of Finance, Santina Cardoso.

The governmental delegation had the opportunity to see several containers that were seized by the functionaries of the National Directorate of Customs. The containers will be the object of investigation by the relevant authorities.

The Vice Prime Minister stated that “the parties involved in this process must undergo investigation and where there are civil servants who are suspected of having collaborated with this illegality, they shall subject themselves to the consequences thereof, notably the loss of the status of civil servant. Likewise, companies suspected of falsifying documents, where it is proven, shall subject themselves to the consequences resulting thereof. Law must be complied with by everybody”.

The Vice Minister of Finance, Santina Cardoso, stated that 50 vehicles have also been confiscated, and that “they have now been abandoned in the Port because the owner refuses to take on the responsibilities. This kind of situation has to be reviewed for there is no space in the Port for warehousing this type of material of huge dimensions”.

SOURCE: GovTL

Sunrise in Dili

This picture was taken on the way back to Dili from Atauro.

If you are a tourist, usually are two ways to do the route Atauro - Dili. The first one is by ferry, and it usually departs twice a week at 3pm. If you dont want to take the ferry in order to spend more time in the Island, the second option it to take a fisherman boat about 3am.

The second options was the one that I used and after 4 hours, we arrived in Dili at around 7pm, so this pic was taken at the sunrise. The scenario is the Criso Rei Mount, famous spot.