The Minister of State Administration (MAE), Jorge da Conceicao Teme, said the government will allocate $1.000 monthly to every village in Dili so the community can be mobilized to clean the capital.
Minister Teme said the funds would be transferred directly to community leaders so they can mobilize and encourage their own community, in particular the youth, to take more active participation in cleaning activities, with the government to facilitate transport to load and remove the rubbish collected.
He recognized the current system for waste management is not really working because the budget is centralized in the ministry and despite calls for public cleaning communities do not have access to water or other equipment.
“These funds are not to pay wages in the community but to mobilize the community, especially the youth to help with cleaning within their own villages.”
Minister Teme added this initiative will start first in Dili District because waste management is a serious issue in the capital but will be rolled out to other districts in the country.
Meanwhile the Director of the Youth Union Love Your Environment (UJHA) Rui Manuel da Silva said his group is ready to cooperate with the government to raise awareness and to provide information to the communities about waste management.
Director da Silva believes the Timorese need to be educated about the impact to the environment of disposing rubbish randomly and not responsibly rather than at the appropriate rubbish collection sites provided by the government in every neighborhood.
“Our seminars are good at increasing awareness in the community about looking after the environment and the importance of recycling for example transforming rubbish into bags and frames and so forth that is beneficial to all of us,” he added.
Youth Martinho Pinto supports the new government initiative because rubbish piling up in the city is becoming very serious.
“I think this is a good new initiative that will help motivate communities to help clean their village every week.”
