DILI (TOP) – One of the current government programs led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak is to deceive farmers by promoting their agricultural products, but in fact members of his government prefer to accept imported rice from abroad which is no longer nutritious.
On Thursday, 13 August 2020 there were about three members of the minister who flocked to pick up six thousands of imported rice from Vietnam.
They are very brave and very happy to show off imported rice which will be used as national food security. They are not ashamed that in this case the rice is already lacking in nutrition, but they are still willing to spend thousands of US dollars to buy it.
Timor-Leste is food insecure. The 2017 Global Hunger Index categorises Timor-Leste as suffering from a “serious” level of hunger. This situation is a direct result of poor agricultural productivity, low incomes, underdeveloped infrastructure and the vulnerability of Timor-Leste’s food supplies to the impact of global food prices and climate variations.
“However, this situation does not mean that the government has to import broken rice from abroad. Local rice produced by local farmers in the country is full of good nutrition but unfortunately the government does not want to buy it, said one commentator”.
The three ministers who visited the broken rice at Dili port were Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Joaquim Amaral, Minister of Transport and Communications José Agustinho da Silva, Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry José Lucas do Carmo da Silva.
The Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Joaquim Amaral said the government bought this broken rice with the aim of anticipating hunger during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Today we come here to witness the rice we bought during the Covid-19 crisis. At that time, all countries did not sell rice due to the government's efforts to negotiate with the Vietnamese government, to buy rice to guarantee our national stock,” Minister Joaquim said.
But when a photo of three ministers was posted on the MCAE Fan Page, it immediately drew a reaction from the former Republican President and Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos Horta with comments that disagreed with this policy.
“Only in Timor-Leste. A ministerial entourage goes to the port to greet the arrival of rice shipment from Vietnam which TL paid for in full,” said Ramos Horta.
“Maybe next week, to show his accomplishments the Minister will go the land border at Mota Ain to greet the arrival of trucks from Kupang bringing assorted merchandise like super mie and cigarettes?,” he questioned.
