Government of Timor-Leste and the International Labour Organization Sign Agreement to Support the COVID-19 Fund
26 May 2020
- The Government of Timor-Leste, represented by the Ministry of Finance, and the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) signed an agreement to channel donor funding directly into the COVID-19 Fund. Through the agreement, titled “Leaving No One Behind in Timor-Leste’s COVID-19 Response- Financial Support for the Implementation of the Cash Transfer Scheme for Low-Income Households”, the ILO will provide $748,000 to support the operational costs that will be incurred through the implementation of the approved “$100 Uma ba Kain” program.
The program was established as part of the Government’s emergency response and will be funded through the $150 million COVID-19 Fund that was created to respond to the effects of COVID-19 in Timor-Leste.
The program is a direct cash transfer that will provide Timor-Leste’s vulnerable households with supplemental income to offset the economic effects of the State of Emergency.
The funds will be channeled directly into the COVID-19 Fund, thus allowing for improved coordination, reporting, and a reduction of administrative costs. The Acting Minister of Finance, Her Excellency Sara Lobo Brites stated, “this partnership is not only addressing an urgent need in a time of crisis, but it is also an leading example of a truly country-owned, country-led, and use of country system partnership…It is our sincere hope that other development partners in Timor-Leste will take note of the ILO’s approach”.
The government of Timor-Leste thanks the ILO for this initiative, and hopes that this cooperation with ILO and others UN agencies will be further strengthened in the future.
Note for the Editors
Kindly note this press release has been written and issued by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Timor-Leste www.mof.gov.tl
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