DILI (TOP) – The development process of the Tasi-Mane project in the southern coast of Timor-Leste has stagnated or been hampered since the FRETILIN party won the 2017 election and the government of the last two years led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak also not paid attention to the fate of this project.
Thus, through a joint meeting between the two government parties, the CNRT party and the Democratic Party on November 4, 2024, at the Dili Convention Center, it has been agreed to allocate money in development capital for Tasi Mane Project to reactivate the process of preparing Greater Sun Rise (GSR), which had been ignored and abandoned by the previous government.
The current government, composed of the CNRT Party and the Democratic Party (PD) held an extended meeting to strengthen the idea of the proposed 2025 State budget.
After a long and in-depth discussion, the CNRT and Democratic Party agreed on the following points:
- The CNRT Party and the Democratic Party agree to focus on the quality of execution, not only on the execution rate;
- The CNRT Party and the Democratic Party will continue to put into practice the logic that both parties form the government not to rule but to serve, so that they will continue to maintain the good work achieved in 2024 and improve some of the work in 2025;
- The CNRT Party and the Democratic Party will continue to allocate money and implement programmes in the productive and strategic sectors in order to ensure the future fiscal sustainability of the state.
- The CNRT Party and the Democratic Party agree to allocate money in the development capital of the Tasi Mane Project to reactivate the process of preparation for Greater Sunrise, which in the past was of little importance and attention;
- It also considers the long-term bureaucracy process in the procurement industry, which hinders the acceleration of budget category execution in development capital, CNRT and Democratic Party will reform the procurement system to accelerate development for the people.
- The CNRT Party and the Democratic Party will comply with the electoral commitment to correct the errors that have occurred in the past Government, which will provide maximum support to the audit process by the international auditor;
- The CNRT and the Democratic Party agree to further invest in the human resources of the judicial sector to reform and improve the sector to build a fair and short-term society.
Finally, the CNRT Party and the Democratic Party consider 2025 to be the year for the implementation of the commitment of the Constitutional Government, as 2024 focuses on efforts to re-sustain the financial system that is broken, correct errors, and audit them, ensuring that people's money must be managed properly.
Previously, Australia's Special Representative for the Greater Sunrise Project, Steve Bracks, visited Timor-Leste at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, to directly observe the implementation of integrated projects under the Tasi Mane initiative on the south coast of Timor-Leste. During his stay, he held meetings with the Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, and Minister of Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, on July 17th and 18th, respectively, to discuss progress and collaboration in the development of the Sunrise and Troubadour natural gas and condensate fields, known as Greater Sunrise.
The Greater Sunrise fields, located around 140 kilometres south of the Timor-Leste coast, were discovered in 1974. The consortium developing the Greater Sunrise fields (Sunrise Joint Venture) comprises TIMOR GAP, which holds 56.6 per cent, Woodside, which has a 33.44 per cent stake, and Osaka Gas Australia, which has a 10 per cent stake. A conceptual study led by Wood Australia began in April 2024 and will evaluate the best options for developing, processing, and commercialising the gas. It should be completed by the end of 2024. The development of Greater Sunrise and the coming of the pipeline to the south coast of Timor-Leste is a national priority and extremely important for Timor-Leste's future economic growth and development.
In May, the Prime Minister appointed Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, to act as an interlocutor in discussions with Steve Bracks, Australia's Special Representative for the development of Greater Sunrise.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, Steve Bracks emphasised that visiting the south coast was a great opportunity to observe the region's development directly, praising Timor-Leste's vision and efforts. He also reaffirmed the Australian Government's commitment to continue collaborating closely with Timor-Leste after the release of the study's results.
At the meeting with the Vice Prime Minister, Steve Bracks briefed him on the results of his visit to the south coast, which he considered very positive. He also expressed his wish that following the project's conceptual study results, Timor-Leste and Australia would meet again to evaluate the results and continue their collaboration.
Steve Bracks's visit to Timor-Leste was primarily to visit the south coast at the invitation of the Prime Minister.
Accompanied by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, and the Executive Director of TIMOR GAP, Mr Bracks observed the progress of projects under development in the region.
