GABINETE DO PRESIDENTE

PRESIDENT RAMOS-HORTA LISTENS TO THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF HATOBUILICO,
June 26, 2007

There’s no rest for the weary. A private trip by President Ramos-Horta at the weekend to
Hatobuilico and Ramelau also became a private assessment of the needs and aspirations of the local populations.

On Friday afternoon, just after Maubisse, President Ramos-Horta had the opportunity to talk at length with workers doing much needed road maintenance on the way to the bucolic and touristic area of Hatobuilico.

H.E. the President was briefed on the roads’ improvement in the area which, properly
maintained will help immensely not only the local populations access to markets but also the flux of foreign tourists to Timor-Leste’s iconic mount Ramelau.

On arrival at Hatobuilico Dr Ramos-Horta was welcomed by the local government and traditional authorities. He would meet them at the local school on Saturday morning and listened attentively to their aspirations and plans for the village and its surrounds. Lack of
electricity in the village, the state of roads, the inefficient radio communications for the
PNTL, as well as the total lack of Timor Telecom in the area were among the issues raised.

They embraced enthusiastically the President’s plans for reforestation of the country as well as his vision to rehabilitate the abandoned former home of the administrator under Portuguese rule into a first class pousada (inn). This would eventually become part of a network of “pousadas” (including Maubisse) using the Portuguese-architecture buildings formerly used as residences and offices during the Portuguese colonial rule which would much contribute to the development of tourism in Timor-Leste.

Before the meeting, the President had visited the local police station and discussed with the members of PNTL about their living and working conditions. Dr Ramos-Horta was shocked, sad and angry by what he saw particularly the living and working conditions of the local sub-district administrator. He also visited the land, overlooking Hatobuilico, in which the local parish priest Father Guilherme is seeking government help to establish an export-quality tea plantation.

During his private weekend trip H.E. the President also visited the markets at Hatobuilico
and Maubisse in which he was enthusiastically received by both traders and population,
particularly the children with whom he has an unparalleled bond.

Dr Ramos-Horta also came across several parties campaigning for the June 30 Parliamentary elections and exchanged pleasantries  with leaders of Fretilin (Minister Antoninho Bianco), PUN (Fernanda Borges) and PNT (Abilio Araujo) who were campaigning respectively in Hatobuilico, Maubisse and Aileu.

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