Ainaro, July 25, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The road connecting Maubisse town to Fatubessi village remains in poor condition. Although it falls under the National Program for Village Development (PNDS), due to limited budget allocation, the road has not yet been fully repaired.
According to the local authority of Fatubessi Village, Maubisse Administrative Post, Ainaro Municipality, the PNDS program began during the 2015 mandate. To this day, the PNDS continues to work on the road since it is a vital route for improving transportation and local access.
“This road is very important because when I was elected Village Chief in 2016, my first priority plan was road development, as most of the roads in Fatubessi were in poor condition. Given that each village receives a 50,000 USD allocation from the PNDS budget, we made the decision to use it for road repair,” said Fatubessi Village Chief, Bonifacio Pereira Mendonça.
He further stated that during his 2016 mandate, PNDS continued its program to repair the road linking Maubisse town to Fatubessi village, allowing the local community to transport their goods to the market more easily.
“During the UNAMET period, Portuguese forces opened this road to connect with Aihosa Hamlet in Maulau Village. Since then, the PNDS program has taken over, though there has been no new construction yet,” added Chief Mendonça in Fatubessi.
He also shared that the PNDS program started in 2015 and runs until 2025. In 2019, a proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Public Works, and a complete survey was conducted for a total length of 6.7 kilometers. The proposal was again submitted through the Integrated Planning mechanism and is currently awaiting consideration by the Ministry of Public Works and the government.
Meanwhile, Helder de Orleans Soares, representative of the Maubisse Administrative Post Administrator, said that roads in Fatubessi village were previously in poor condition. Although the PNDS program has not yet achieved 100% improvement, it has positively impacted people’s lives.
“Through the PNDS program, the community’s needs are starting to be met, allowing them to bring their produce to local markets. While some parts of the road have been improved to address community concerns, the work is not yet complete. This village has several potential areas for development, such as horticulture (garlic, carrots), coffee, and other natural resources like fertile land,” said Helder de Orleans Soares in Fatubessi.
He added that the PNDS program has helped meet community needs, although some areas are still underserved. It is hoped that in time, with gradually increasing budgets, better road construction can be achieved. Because development is a process that doesn’t happen all at once—it must align with available financial capacity.
Report: Tomas
Photo: Tomas