Timor-LesteDesigning and Implementing PRS: The Timor-Leste Experience

DILI

BOBONARO

MANUFAHI

BAUCAU

COVALIMA

ERMERA

LAUTEM

LIQUICA

MANATUTO

OECUSSI

VIQUEQUE

AINARO

AILEU

Timor-Leste19,000 sq mtrs

Approx 850,000 ppl

Timor-Leste• A quarter of occupation and conflict

• Experienced social and economic upheaval after August 1999 Referendum

• Majority of the population displaced

• Physical infrastructures destroyed and rendered inoperable

Timor-Leste

Reconstruction began with support from UN, multilateral and bilateral agencies and NGOs

Timor-Leste

Prior to 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste confronted several key challenges

• More than two in five are poor

• Timor-Leste is an agrarian, largely subsistence economy

• Productivity in most sectors is low, relying on traditional low-input and low-output technologies and practices.

• Low human resource capacities

• Communication is complex due to many local languages and now Indonesian, Portuguese & English.

• Women occupy subordinate positions

• Private sector is very small and largely dependent on provision of goods and services to Government, donor or NGO

• We have natural resources like oil and gas. However, this will only materialize in another 4 years. Meanwhile Timor-Leste relies on donor support

Challenges . . .

A process-driven and Timorese-owned planning exercise prior to 20 May 2002 was adopted, addressing 4 major questions:

1.Where are we? 2.Where do we want to go?3.How do we get there?4.How do we measure our

progress?

Where are we? • State of the Nation Report

– Identified 9 challenges that Timor-Leste faces

• National Poverty Assessment– Identified 41% of the population lives under the

Poverty Line (US$0.55c per day)

• National Human Development Report– Identified that Timor-Leste is 152th in 162

nations in terms of Human Development Index

Where do we want to go?• Timor-Leste 2020: our Nation, our Future

– Countrywide consultation process >38,000 people’s aspirations

– National Vision for 2020 formulated and– Development Priorities identified

1. Education

2. Health

3. Agriculture

4. Economy

5. Infrastructure, etc, etc

National Development Plan

• 5-year development strategy - poverty reduction & promotion of equitable & sustainable economic growth

• Directed to improve health, education and the

general well-being of every Timorese

• Focused on creating opportunities for economic participation of the poor

How do we get there?

Timor-Leste’s Planning Cycle

Millennium Development Goals• As the newest

independent country and the 191st member of the United Nations, we are pleased to see that MDGs are integral part of our NDP

• In the process of subscribing to MDGs

• About to submit our first MDG Report

National Deveopment Plan

• Serves as core of the national planning and budgeting process

• Focus on Poverty Reduction and • Economic growth which is equitable

and sustainable