Despite the fact that Timor Leste has an abundant supply of oil and gas revenues, its citizens are among the world’s poorest. Since independence in 2002, limited progress has been made on the country’s twin objectives of economic growth and poverty reduction in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. Timor Leste has a low life expectancy, high illiteracy and widespread food insecurity. Revenues for reconstruction are still urgently needed today but Governments’ efforts to provide transparent and accountable service delivery have not been satisfactory.
Luta Hamutuk Institute as a CSO member in Timor Leste has an initiative
to contribute and to participate in National Development process. At the same
time Luta Hamutuk believe that participatory development which based on
transparency and accountability values can be a key to achieve country’s twin
objectives of economic growth and poverty reduction in the framework of the
Millennium Development Goals. Based on this point of view, Luta Hamutuk
Institute has a very good cooperation with RWI in promoting Oil Transparency by
using EITI and Social accountability mechanism in order to guaranty transparency
in revenue collection as well as guaranty accountability in revenue
expenditure.
In order to engage
more civil society members and community leaders’ participation in promoting
accountability in Extractive Industry sector, Luta Hamutuk has cooperation with
ANSA which facilitated by RWI, has organized a workshop during 3 days in Dili,
Timor Leste. The workshop was held on 27-29 March, and discussed some topics as
bellow:
- Discussing about how to use Community Score Card (CSC) and Community Report Card (CRC) in doing advocacy towards Oil Companies and the Government as well as monitoring local content projects in EI sector.
- Sharing information and experiences on Social Accountability approach in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Philippine.
Resource Person and Participant:
During three day
workshop there were 2 resources person from ANSA-Philippine, 1 resource person
from RWI and 2 resources person from Luta Hamutuk Institute. The participant
comes from 3 components as identified by Luta Hamutuk as a target groups:
- Luta Hamutuk’s focal point and local authority representatives from Aileu District-Timor Leste.
- Representative from local NGO in Dili
- Representative from University Student group in Dili
Quick result has been evaluated:
1.
Participants are
now has skills in how to use Community Score Card and Community report card (CRC),
as they promised to use in their future monitoring activities.
2.
Participant are
now has a basic knowledge on how social accountability mechanism can really
works in other country like Indonesia and Philippine.
3.
Participants are
now has sufficient information on revenue collection from oil and gas in Timor
Leste and understand on how government and Oil Company implementing local
content projects in Aileu district and other districts in Timor Leste.
By; Luta Hamutuk
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