Donor meeting for East Timor opens in Brussels
5 December -- A two-day donor meeting to raise funds for East Timor opened today in Brussels, aiming to review a plan of the key benchmarks in the territory's transition to full independence.
The meeting is being chaired by Sergio Vieira de Mello, the head of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), and Jemal-ud-din Kassum, the World Bank's Vice-President for East Asia.
"The continued support of donors in the coming years - and particularly during this critical countdown to independence - is vital to the achievement of a successful transition plan, allowing the East Timorese to fully resume their lives and truly reap the benefits of independence after the traumatic events of last year," Mr. Vieira de Mello said.
The meeting opened with speeches by Chris Patten, European Commissioner for External Relations, and Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate and Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile back in East Timor, the UN mission announced today that it had set up a committee to review all major contracts within the procurement system of the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA), after "increasing indications of corruption" were detected in recent weeks.
According to UNTAET, price fixing and collusion were discovered in the arrangements involving East Timorese and foreign companies.
"The Transitional Administration takes these matters very seriously and is investigating all instances thoroughly," the UN Mssion said. "Where corruption has been established, firm action will be taken."
In collaboration with UN agencies and international financial institutions, the UN Mission has also established a Procurement Advisory Center in Dili to enhance the business prospects of the local contractors and suppliers.
