Electricians assigned by the government to carry out work in rural areas lack basic electrical skills and are unable to fix short-circuited electrical systems, says Member of Parliament Manuel Castro.
Electricians trained during the Indonesian occupation had a much higher skill level than those trained since independence, he said.
Castro said electricians should perform electrical work only, and not be responsible for administrative work or selling electricity credit.
Public Works minister Gastao de Sousa said his ministry had signed an agreement that would see Indonesia charged with training Timorese electricians.
“We’re just waiting on a few details to be decided,” he said.
“The agreement has been signed and now we’re waiting to know whether their technicians will come here or if our electricians will be sent there.”
He said while he believed the skill level of Timorese electricians was adequate, they would benefit from extra training.
