Seventy-six (76) Administrative Post Facilitators (FPA) signed public servant contracts with the Directorate of Water and Sanitation Services (DNSA), Ministry of Public Works, on 25 January 2015.
The FPA’s were recruited and financed from 2009 – 2011 by the BESIK (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the Community) Program funded by the Australian Government and in 2012 were transferred to the Timorese Government on renewable six month contracts.
FPA’s provide support to the community in planning for new water systems as well as with training. They also support Facility Management Groups (GMF) and the community to maintain and operate water systems after they are built.
“Today is a very special day for me because I have been working for five years as a contractor but today I have become a public servant,” said Domingas Tavares do Santos, FPA from the administrative post of Atabae, in Bobonaro Municipality. “This appointment has given me more confidence to go into the community.”
Likewise Cesar Conçeiçaõ de Fátima, FPA in the administrative post of Remexio, Aileu Municipality, said signing the terms of acceptance with the government means he now will have a secure future.
“I am happy and proud because I have become a public servant. Before this I worked with a heavy heart because I could be terminated at any time but now I am happy because I am a permanent staff,” said FPA de Fatima.
According to Decree Law No. 4/2004, in Timor-Leste rural communities are responsible for managing their own water systems through GMF’s with the support of FPA’s.
The FPA’s include 16 females (21%) and 60 males (79%) working in all 13 municipalities of the country.
“FPA’s are the link between the community and the government. For two years BESIK financed the FPA’s to support DNSA with the management of clean water services at the administrative post level,” said BESIK’s Program Director Roger Guinery. “I take this opportunity to congratulate all the FPA’s on behalf of the whole BESIK team because their hard work has paid off and the government of Timor-Leste made the decision to give them permanent public servant status.”
A total of 152 new staff signed the terms of acceptance to become public servants with the Ministry of Public Works (MOP in Tetum): 59 will be placed in the Institute of Equipment Management (IGE in Tetum), 92 at DNSA with 17 in the Department of Desalinisation and including the 76 FPA’s. The new staff will be on probation for twelve months.
