The National Parliament (PN) has called on the government to guarantee the rights of people affected by eviction processes and at the same time minimise technical impacts that may arise from unplanned infrastructure interventions.
Member of Parliament Maria Angelina Sarmento said that house evictions carried out quickly and on a large scale can place pressure on infrastructure systems, particularly electricity distribution and water supply.
“Evictions carried out quickly can create technical problems because water and electricity networks need to be adapted. This can directly affect the population,” she said at the National Parliament in Dili.
On the other hand, MP Joaquim dos Santos also emphasised the importance of guaranteeing the rights of victims. He called on the government, through the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), to ensure affected people receive their full rights in accordance with the law.
“It is very important to ensure that people affected by evictions receive compensation and fair treatment. The government must pay attention to both the legal and human aspects,” he said.
He added that the PN expects good coordination between relevant institutions to ensure a development process that does not focus only on infrastructure progress but also respects the rights and well-being of affected communities.
Responding to these concerns, Minister of Public Works Samuel Marçal said that processes such as road widening can affect existing infrastructure, including water pipelines and other networks, but the government is looking for ways to reduce these risks.
“Improving our country and turning it into a better city requires everyone’s contribution. We cannot expect the government to work alone; everyone must cooperate to improve the city. We all know that when roads are demolished, some water pipes will also be damaged, but our teams continue to monitor the situation to ensure clean water for communities,” he added.
He said that the government continues to make efforts to minimise the impact and guarantee community rights, particularly access to clean water and electricity.
“We ask communities to be a little patient. When the BTL team identifies a broken pipe, the team will repair it so that water can flow normally again,” he said.
