Timor-Leste's national parliament has approved a US$4 million budget to purchase 65 new cars for lawmakers, which critics say is "irresponsible" in a country where nearly half of its children are malnourished.
Speaker Maria Fernanda Lay told reporters on Aug. 26 that the Administrative Council of Parliament decided to purchase the cars as "all the vehicles [of MPs] have already broken down."
Critics of the move include leaders of the opposition party – the Popular Liberation Party (PLP). Its leader, Maria Angelina Sarmento, told reporters that several existing cars are usable, while others may require repair work.
"The reason given by the speaker is vague because not all cars are broken. Some are still in working condition, and others need repairs," Sarmento said.
Rights worker Inocencio de Jesus Xavier said parliament's move was "irresponsible" in a country where millions live without adequate food and housing.
Buying new cars shows that members of parliament are arrogant, ignorant, and ultimately greedy," said Xavier, a researcher with Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR).
He said the country of 1.3 million people is "highly dependent on the Petroleum Fund, 42 percent of our people still live in poverty, and 47 percent of children suffer from malnutrition."
Xavier called on parliament to focus on representing the people by "ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability" in policy-making.
Joaquim Russuo da Fonseca, an official of the student group National Resistance of East Timorese Students, said parliamentarians should be "ashamed of this move."
"If four million is invested to build schools, then we may have a better future for East Timorese children. Or if it is invested for reducing malnutrition, it will have a better nation tomorrow," Fonseca said.
Despite local media reporting civil society groups criticising the move, the Church has not officially made any public statement on the matter.
About 90 percent of the poverty-stricken nation's income comes from its Petroleum Fund – a fund established with its oil or gas resources to manage its revenue. According to the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, the fund's estimated capital in 2024 was US$18.27 billion.
The central bank said last year that the fund's value was "substantial," and was roughly equivalent to 10 times the nation's annual GDP.
However, experts warn that the fund is depleting rapidly, pushing the nation to the verge of an economic disaster.
Xavier noted that parliament's bid to spend an average of US$61,500 on a car takes place amid the stark economic reality of the nation.
Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/critics-slam-4m-budget-for-mp-vehicles-in-hungry-timor-leste/11009