New Zealand is giving an additional NZ$200,000 to help with continuing support for the World Bank Trust Fund for East Timor, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Robson said today.

Mr Robson said this is in addition to $400,000 New Zealand has already contributed.

The Trust Fund for East Timor aims to rehabilitate East Timor’s roads, water utilities, telecommunications and power (the Asian Development Bank manages these projects) with the World Bank being responsible for health, education, agriculture, private sector development, and economic capacity building. Joint projects are mainly aimed at community development including microfinance credit schemes.

“East Timor is struggling to rebuild itself after last year’s devastation and New Zealand’s ongoing attention is needed. We are working alongside the UN and other donors in East Timor to assist where we can,” Mr Robson said.

“New Zealand is contributing to the UN’s peacekeeping force and we also have New Zealand customs officers, police officers, prison staff, judicial staff and others helping the UN and East Timorese to re-establish the fundamental systems of government.”

“We’re also assisting in education by providing tertiary scholarships for East Timorese to study in New Zealand, and in early childhood education. We’ve also helped re-establish one of East Timor’s independent newspapers,” Mr Robson said.

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