Dili – A preliminary government report that indicates 41 per cent of East Timor's population live in poverty and 48 per cent are illiterate was presented today to the Council of Ministers.

The preliminary Poverty Assessment report by the National Planning Commission is based on a survey of 9,100 East Timorese living in 100 villages or boroughs across the territory. The survey was conducted with the participation of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

Poverty was higher in rural areas (46 per cent) than in urban areas (26 per cent), according to the preliminary report. Poverty was also reported to be highest in rural central and western East Timor (51 per cent) and lowest in the towns of Dili and Baucau (14 per cent).

The study also found that 46 per cent of adults never attended school. Not surprisingly, 49 per cent of East Timorese were reported to be illiterate, and an added 37 per cent were found to read with difficulty.

A final report is expected to be completed by the end of April. It will be used to help shape a government plan to combat poverty and to promote development in East Timor.