Dili, May 20, 2019 (Lusa)
Timor-Leste continues to face major challenges that could endanger the stability of the country, with many Timorese — including almost half of all children — still living in poverty, warned President Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo at the official commemorations of the 17th anniversary of the restoration of independence.
Poverty and Youth Unemployment
“The future of this country is compromised when 46% of our children under the age of 14 live below the poverty line,” Lu-Olo said at the ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Dili.
“Production, productivity, and food quality have been deteriorating. The unemployment rate is still high in our country and most of our young people are looking for jobs abroad,” he added.
Key Stability Risk Factors
In a speech with several warnings about future national stability, the President highlighted a range of unresolved structural problems:
- Food shortages and declining agricultural productivity
- High unemployment, especially among youth
- Limited access to clean water and reliable electricity
- Inadequate access to health services and medical treatment
He noted that these issues “can be risk factors for social peace and stability,” and called for “open dialogue, with the active participation of citizens” to “establish consensus and identify appropriate solutions to the nation’s problems.”
Agriculture and Economic Diversification
Lu-Olo emphasised the importance of economic diversification, with particular focus on the agricultural sector — the largest employer in the country.
“About 60% of the population” depends on agriculture, he said, adding: “In addition to its role in reducing poverty and hunger in many countries, agriculture is the basis for the development of other sectors and contributes significantly to the conservation of biodiversity.”
Coffee as a Strategic Sector
The President singled out coffee as a critical industry, noting that it supports more than 38,000 households and generates over USD 22 million in annual output — with productivity still well below its potential.
“I want to appeal to the Government to strengthen efforts to encourage small domestic producers to increase productivity so that we can reduce food imports,” he said.
He also invoked a well-known local metaphor to make his point: “Let’s not forget that when we import, we are withdrawing money from Tasi Mane to ‘drown’ it in Tasi Feto” — referring to the southern sea, from where oil revenues come, and the northern sea, where imports arrive.
Petroleum Fund and Investment Reform
Lu-Olo called on the Government to invest the country’s Petroleum Fund more sustainably, by accelerating “reforms that can optimize and boost competitiveness and stimulate the economy’s growth potential.”
In particular, he said the executive should work to create a “general business environment that facilitates investment and commercial activities,” with reforms targeting the labour market and taxation system.
Honouring Independence Veterans
At the commemorations, the President awarded honours to veterans of the struggle against Indonesian occupation:
| Award | Recipients |
|---|---|
| Necklace of the Order of East Timor | 10 veterans |
| Medal of the Order of East Timor | 15 veterans (including posthumous) |
“These veterans have left everything behind. They have left their homes, their well-being, their families, to fulfil a collective dream,” Lu-Olo said.
Unity as the Foundation for Development
This year’s commemorations were held under the theme “Strengthening Unity and Ensuring Stability for National Development.” The President used the occasion to stress that unity must be built on rules, principles, and values — with no one excluded.
“We know that it is necessary to strengthen unity in order to guarantee stability and thus to continue to develop our country, but this unit has to be based on rules, principles and values, a unity reinforced by the principle of inclusion, in which no one is excluded,” he said.
Remembering the Roots of Independence
The head of state also recalled the “legacy of values and principles that the parents of this nation left” and the importance of defending them “as an inheritance for future generations.”
He referenced the “small group of nationalists informally led by the late President Nicolau Lobato” who, before the fall of the Salazar regime on 25 April 1974 in Portugal, began to foster the “national conscience” that eventually led to independence — a process rooted in recognising the “cultural heritage that unites” the Timorese and their “own identity, wisdom and strength.”