As Timor-Leste’s marked 20 years since the restoration of its independence on May 20, its people and leaders have much to celebrate having created a lasting peace free from major violence, maintaining its neutrality and sovereignty and improving some of its basic infrastructure, Fundasaun Mahein said in its report on reflections since independence.

Yet, despite such achievements, “structural violence in the form of poverty, corruption and impunity continues to harm the lives and wellbeing of many of our people,” Fundasaun Mahein said.

Over 40% of Timor-Leste’s people live below the poverty line, with limited employment opportunities in the formal sector and most of the population having no consistent earnings.

The report focused on recommendations to reduce poverty and improve national security in Timor-Leste.

It said the only viable way for Timor-Leste to eliminate poverty and end its “unsustainable dependency on the Petroleum Fund” was to modernise its agriculture sector, “which will then serve as the base for developing other industries and creating an advanced economy.”

“Too many of our people continue to live in sub-standard homes, lacking adequate sanitation, decent income and access to quality education and healthcare, which means that many children of our nation face significant barriers to achieving a comfortable, secure life.”

From Fundasaun Mahein’s perspective, Timor-Leste is facing combined crises of “financial uncertainty, political instability, poor domestic productivity, youth unemployment, internal migration, poor nutrition and health, sub-standard education and literacy, and environmental fragility.”

“While Fundasaun Mahein remains optimistic about Timor-Leste’s future, we see that there are major challenges which our leaders must overcome before we can fully realise the promise of independence.”

“If our people remain poor and our industries and services do not increase in productivity and value, we can never achieve financial sustainability and escape dependency on limited petroleum wealth and international support for technical issues.”

Amongst its recommendations, Fundasaun Mahein said Timor-Leste needs a “comprehensive, integrated plan for the structural transformation of our economy, which must be developed in consultation with stakeholders representing labour and industry, as well as technical experts and international advisors.”

“The plan must realistically account for Timor-Leste’s natural resources, physical and non-physical constraints and socio-cultural specificities, and aim to modernise our society and economy while preserving key aspects of our cultural heritage and protecting labour rights and the natural environment.

It also called for “comprehensive education reform program, including targets for improving maternal and child nutrition, school facilities, teacher quality and higher education curricula.”