Annie White: A top East Timorese official has accused Australian aid groups and businesses of profiteering in East Timor. The secretary-general of Timor's socialist party Avelino De Silva sits alongside Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos Horta at the National Consultative Council, Timor's de facto government.

Michael Vincent reports Avelino De Silva, in Australia to address a conference on Marxism, believes aid groups are importing alcohol as well as underpaying workers.

Michael Vincent: In the first major protest against the UN's transitional administration in East Timor, more than 200 workers rallied in Dili demanding better working conditions. The Timorese Socialist Party organised the demonstration. Its leader, Avalino Da Silva, says aid groups are paying workers a pittance.

Avelino De Silva: With twenty thousand rupiah – I give you as a number – 20,000 rupiah And one kilo of rice is 15,000 rupiah. One kilo of meat is 45,000. One kilo of sugar is 10,000. How can people survive with 20,000 today?

Michael Vincent: His message to aid groups is simple – pay a fair day's wage for a fair day's work, and stop trying to get rich. Senior De Silva says some non-government organisations, or NGOs, are using the emergency situation in East Timor to import beer and other products to on-sell them. He says it's plain profiteering.

Avelino De Silva: Time will prove which NGOs are getting rich in East Timor, which NGOs are doing business in East Timor. Came with the flag of humanitarians, but behind it doing business.

Michael Vincent: How are they doing business?

Avelino De Silva: A lot of NGOs, they can import or bring beer to East Timor. [Inaudible] We don't identify yet which NGOs do it in East Timor.

Michael Vincent: Timor's Socialist Party is not opposed to a free market, but it's not happy about recent investments. Senor De Silva says Australian entrepreneurs have opened hotels and other businesses in Dili without asking permission of locals.

Avelino De Silva: We still [inaudible] our investments.

Michael Vincent: You think it's illegal.

Avelino De Silva: Yeah, because it is not regulated yet by United Nations treasury administration regulations.

Michael Vincent: Senor De Silva says entrepreneurs must not exploit East Timor as a tax-free haven.

Annie White: Michael Vincent with that report.