The Ministry of State Administration, in cooperation with the State Secretary of Public Works (MAE-SEOP,) will create an integrated joint ministerial standard for building houses in the Dili city and districts.
The State Secretary for Public Works, Luis Vaz Rodrigues said the plan will involve many ministries.
“We don’t have a standard, we work without a legal base,” said SE Rodrigues at the National Parliament.
He said SEOP is only in charge of the operational management of the program, while the institutional function management is held by the ministries.
The Member of Commission F (infrastructure, transport and communication affairs), MP Paulino Monteiro said the urban development plan is good and the case is frequently raised to build the city in accordance with the standard.
“People in Cabo-Verde make their urban development plan orderly,” said MP Monteiro.
He said the urban development plan requires people to build houses in accordance with the standard.
“After making the master plan then work together with the Public Works, and they pass down the instruction for building the house, road, and drain in an orderly way,” he said.
The MP used the example of Cabo-Verde, where houses which are deemed not to comply with the standard may be demolished by the State.
Deputy President of Commission E, MP Inacio Moreira said like it or not, the plan must be implemented.
He said when the government implements the urban development plan, the city development plan must be implemented as well.
“With the condition we face in Dili city that we will expend a big cost,” said MP Moreira.
The State and Government will expend much money for this plan, since communities will be displaced from Dili city.
“The city belongs to the nation, so like it or not it should be done, otherwise, the city of Dili will be left behind,” suggested Moreira.
Therefore, he suggested running a good development in future and in the urban development plan needs to displace the people for extending the city wider.
The MP is also disappointed as the government of the Parliamentary Majority Alliance’s (AMP) time there was a department charged with implementing the urbanization plan but the department did not function as intended.
In the AMP government’s time, the State Secretary for Electricity was in charge of urbanization, but from 2007-2012 only focused on the electricity.
