Paulina Quintao – The Director of the organization Women's movement (MOFFE), Yasinta Lujina acknowledges that new Members of Parliament (MPs) need transportation to facilitate their work, especially to do monitoring activities on the ground, but this does not mean said transportation must be an expensive Prado.
She said as the state has an obligation to facilitate appropriate services to measure people's living conditions and who still lives in poverty but not at the expense of those people where only some benefit.
"Transport is important to facilitate their work, particularly to go to the communities and see people's living conditions. They ensure laws are created to protect people. Does this mean Prados," she said in her office, Farol, Dili.
In future Director Lujina asked the state to think before buying expensive cars such as Prados, and consider those people who are still living in very vulnerable conditions.
She also urged the technical team of the National Parliament to take charge of annual car depreciation and explain to the public about the cars sold at auction for $8.000, when they were originally bought for $63.000, five year previously.
"The problem is internal auctions are only for the MPs with a low price. And they receive a life pension on top of that. This is not fair," she affirmed.
National Parliament issued a resolution initially to open an internal auction of 65 cars, used by the National Members of Parliament during the III Legislature priced at US$8.000 for each car.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the Timor-Leste University Movement (MUTL), Miguel Arcanjo Moniz da Silva said the decision impacted on the execution of the State General Budget for the future and could impact on the country's productivity.
He said MUTL was looking for an "impartial solution based on people's concern." If there was no neutral solution, MUTL said they would mobilize all universities, ordinary people to undertake protest action against the National Parliament.
On the other hand Member of the Administrative Council, National Member of Parliament Brigida Correia explained an analysis was done by the technical team of the parliament, showing car depreciation and the cost for car maintenance in the next five years, therefore an auction needsto be undertaken every five years.
"If this is not done, the National Parliament will spend a lot of money for car maintenance rather than buy a new car for $45.000," she said.
She said the State has an important role in project monitoring and its agents need transport to facilitate their work. "I don't think people will expect us to go on foot to see the projects on the ground, so we need transport," she said.
In regards to the auction price, this is based on the cost analysis and maintenance during five years and at the end, the State team within the Parliament decided the cars were to be sold at auction for $8.000. The resolution was approved by the 65 MPs.
She added new cars will be purchased at $45.000 per unit and this cost is low compared to the previous costs. She added that depending on conditions of the roads over the next five years, perhaps a specific type of car will no longer be needed.