Dili, November 5, 2025 (Média Democracia) – In an interview, the Director of the Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations in Timor-Leste (FONGTIL), Valentim, urged the government to design a realistic roadmap that aligns with existing resources, so that institutions in need of support can be strengthened to implement planned programs effectively over the next five years.
Director Valentim explained that, given the economic challenges Timor-Leste will face in the ASEAN regional market, now that the country has become an official ASEAN member, there is an urgent need to develop action plans or pathways that will enable Timor-Leste to compete and align with the standards and requirements set by the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
“Today, as part of civil society, we participated in an AEC workshop to learn from the experiences of older ASEAN members such as Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, and Cambodia, who came to share insights that can help us design a realistic roadmap for the next five years to guide what actions we should take. However, our position is that this roadmap must reflect our real situation, meaning it must be linked to the resources we already have and to the institutions that need support so that our plans can be implemented effectively. Otherwise, even if our plans look perfect on paper, without adequate capacity we will not be able to carry them out properly during implementation,” said Director Valentim of FONGTIL.
He further stated that he hopes the roadmap will reflect the real situation and available resources, so that during the next five years, it can truly bring changes to the processes required for Timor-Leste to integrate successfully as a member of the ASEAN Economic Community.
“It’s a difficult process, because we are now entering a free market, and some say Timor joined first and will only later try to regulate the market. That’s why I think, even though we have just joined about a week ago, we must already start strengthening our regulations regarding the free market by reviewing our internal laws and adapting them to regional standards. Without strong capacity to manage this properly, it will be difficult. Therefore, as civil society, we call on the government to look into this carefully,” Valentim explained.
He reaffirmed his point by referring to Vietnam as an example of a country that created space within its commercial sector to build national capacity and enable fair competition with other ASEAN member states.
“I cite Vietnam as an example because its government ensured conditions to protect local industries while also supporting the private sector, giving them the space to contribute to national economic development. This is a valuable model for us,” Valentim emphasized.
In conclusion, he called on young people to continue maintaining peace within the country, and urged the government to keep documenting and teaching Timor-Leste’s history in schools at the village and community levels, so that the younger generation may continue to cultivate the spirit of patriotism and national identity in their daily lives as citizens of Timor-Leste.
Reporter: Domingas
Photo: Domingas