The Ministry of Education (ME) will enjoy a budget allocation of $106.6 million out of the 2014 General State Budget to develop the education sector in the country through initiatives including opening new schools and rehabilitating existing ones.
Prime Minister (PM) Kay RalaXananaGusmão said the ME’s budget allocation of $106.6 million is an improvement from the allocation for 2013 of $92 million.
“This financial package will guarantee the construction of 100 new pre-schools, the rehabilitation of 50 basic education central schools, and four model general secondary schools,” said PM Gusmão, at the National Parliament, in Dili.
The PM added the funds will complete the government’s investment to improve schools infrastructure around the country.
Meanwhile MP EldaioFaculto, from Commission F(for Education, Health, Culture, Gender Equality and Veteran Affairs), said the funds allocated are less important than the capacity to execute them.
MP Faculto added in previous years the ministries have not been able to adequately execute funds allocated by the end of the fiscal year.
“We will be looking at the execution process, it is a limited amount but it needs to be executed adequately,” said the MP.
The MP is also concerned because funds were not allocated to expand the current Ministry of Education’s infrastructure and with many staff; this will become a problem in future because facilities are limited and buildings are damagedand need to be fixed.
“Last year we recommended allocating funds to this but it hasn’t been done.”
MP VigilioHornai, the President of Commission F, said each ministry is allocated funds to develop the country not just the education sector.
According to him, apart from the education sector woes, other challenges include roads, access to clean water, electricity, health problems as well as the social assistance issues the government needs to consider.
“These areas also need to be addressed by the budget. So a budget that favours expenses by the Ministry of Education won’t be equally balanced,” said MP Hornai.
According to him the budget for the Ministry of Education increases every year and in 2014 the allocation increased to 15 per cent of the General State Budget for 2014, to build infrastructure and school facilities.
