The future of business in Timor-Leste
Awan’s two decades in the private sector in Timor-Leste provide a unique vision for the future of business in the republic. Land and tax reform are key to economic diversification.
The Story Behind A Strong Heart
A Strong Heart—An Autobiography in Progress charts my rise to great heights of success, from a one-man-band startup funded by a few credit cards to a small multinational company
Poland Gold Cross Medal of Merit Award
Rebuilding domestic tourism
Farewell Discovery Inn & Diya Restaurant, Dili
It was with a heavy heart that I recently made the difficult decision to close our beloved hotel Discovery Inn and Diya Restaurant, along with two of our Burger King Timor-Leste restaurants, due to the effects of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry.
Posted by Jose Ramos-Horta on Facebook
Land tenure in Timor-Leste
Banks in Timor-Leste
Until land title law and regulation on interest rates is passed, interest rates will remain high – a problem that could be solved now if the government wished.
Supporting Timorese youth training
Genius of the simple
This simple invention by a Salvation Army doctor in the 1970s has saved countless lives but has come into its own during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19: A Global Snapshot Released
I would like to share with you a timely report from Western Sydney University providing a global snapshot of COVID-19 responses, to which I have contributed an analysis of Timor-Leste’s response to the virus from a business perspective.
On the Ground in Timor-Leste
‘I was really worried and very scared’ … Four Timorese locals share their thoughts, comments, and feelings about facing COVID-19.
The Dorothy Dixer
India will never replace China as a primary trading partner because the two countries are on vastly different trajectories.
A Trans-Timor Travel Bubble
As Australia opens up, there is increasing talk of a trans-Tasman travel bubble, and Scott Morrison foreshadowed other Pacific bubbles for ‘members of our broader Pacific family’. But what of our cousins in Timor-Leste to the north, where there have been no COVID-19 deaths? Now it’s time to consider a trans-Timor COVID safe travel zone.
Cool heads must prevail
In the business world that I come from, I have always held the position that you treat your buyer with kid gloves because if you mistreat them, they will go elsewhere. What are we doing to China?
Response to an article by Timor-Leste Minister for Finance, Fidelis Magalhães
Crises have a way of clarifying one's thoughts and actions. The strategic groundwork for dealing with COVID-19 appears to be complete. Now, I pray that over the coming days we will see the government set aside bureaucratic hurdles and roll-out a transparent and accountable economic assistance package that is simple and fair for community and business alike.
Jose Ramos-Horta Interview Response
As Jose Ramos-Horta said in his interview, at this time we need brave leaders that show ‘audacious, courageous, visionary leadership’. I believe Timor-Leste has the right people in place, and evidence from the past month suggests that the Government is on the right path to deliver such leadership at this challenging time.
A rent furlough for Timor-Leste?
Even with wage assistance programs from governments rolling out in many countries, businesses are still finding themselves burdened with a second financial hurdle: rent on premises that are not producing income.
An exemplar of national security management?
Alan Dupont of the Cognoscenti Group, wrote this month on LinkedIn about COVID-19 being a golden opportunity for Australia to strengthen its national security.
Cooperation & Economic Recovery in Timor-Leste
I think it is now safe to say we can call what we are now seeing, a recession. Most people would agree, we don’t need to wait for the official report of two successive quarters of contraction to call this one. What is unknown is how long this will last and how deep it will be.