Daniel Dos Santos, the Director of FONGTIL, accused several Ministries of operating “below standard” because of inexperienced leadership.

Santos said FONGTIL had observed that several Ministers were failing to lead programs – pointing to the stalled school breakfast and access to clean water programs as examples.  

Political observer, Camilo Ximenes, from the National University of Timor-Leste, said any change to the coalition government cabinet would need mutual agreement from its three parties.

For Ximenes, the President’s promulgation of the government’s budget on Thursday meant that Ministers only now had an approved program to work on.

Ximenese said that the government’s response in the coming months should be what its members are evaluated on.