Coffee Exports Down by Half
Over a thousand tons of certified organic and fair trade coffee
worth $3.4 million have been exported this year by Cooperativa
Café Timor (CCT), most of which went to the specialty
coffee market in the US. Overall production was down by almost
50 percent due to the late arrival of the rainy season last
year. USAID assistance has enabled the cooperative not only
to produce and export specialty coffee, but also to generate
employment for the Timorese people: 22,000 farmers are cooperative
members and an average of 3,000 people are employed as seasonal
processing workers, on top of 300 full-time staff. (December
3, 2007)
Oversight Body Launches Internship
Program
The Office of the Provedor, Timor-Leste's independent oversight
institution, is embarking on an internship program intended
to give new university graduates work experience and a better
understanding of anti-corruption work. The internship will commence
with an intensive national recruitment campaign and will be
implemented over a period of one year divided into two six-month
semesters. The program is expected to develop a core group of
young and idealistic anti-corruption officers with appropriate
skills to perform specialized anti-corruption functions. USAID
partner Management Sciences for Development will facilitate
the provision of external expertise and funding for the internship
program. (December 3, 2007)
