DILI, 18/05/2017 (FDCH) – The Executive Secretary to the Human Capital Development Fund (FDCH), Isménio Martins da Silva, has announced that, since its establishment, FDCH has already benefitted 56.482 people, 35% of which are women.
«Within its programme, FDCH has funded several training courses in many areas of activity. You can find all the details on these in the books launched today. From 2011 to 2016, 54.482 people benefited from this fund (with 35% of women),» Mr. Isménio Martins stated in his speech for FDCH’s Books, Reports and Website Launch, which took place at CCD, Dili.
The Executive Secretary informed that up to today FDCH has managed a total budget of $212.532.000 with an average implementation rate of about 87%. The greatest share pertains to the Scholarship Programme, which holds 49% of the allocated budget, the Professional Training Programme comes right after in the second position with 27% of the total budget, and thereafter there’s the Technical Training Programme with 15% and, lastly, Other Training with 9%.
FDCH’s budget has been serving training and scholarships in different areas, focusing mainly in priority areas, though, as education, health, agriculture, tourism, among others.
Mr. Isménio Martins said that since FDCH’s establishment in 2011, up to time of speaking, FDCH activity had faced several challenges regarding programme implementation.
The National Parliament and the Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas) and even the Timorese general public know that it is important to improve human resources management and placing, with the public sector needing to be the main focus of investment, in accordance to the national needs analysis which SEFI and CFP are putting in place as well as the Public Administration reform process which is currently a priority of the Government.
The weak labour market is also still a fact and a challenge faced by Timor-Leste, meaning that qualified human resources and higher diploma holders cannot be placed when they finish their studies.
«Nevertheless, we know that the government will work hard on the reform of the economy and the tax regime, responding to the progress of development itself, in order to enlarge and enhance the national labour market, offering options within non-oil related sectors,» Mr. Isménio Martins added.
FDCH’s budget has also been allocated to priority areas, following the directions of the Head of the CA-FDCH himself, who has recently stated: “Our wealth will always rest on our human resources – not on oil – and therefore the investment in the human capital is an investment in our future.” (Media FDCH)