Senior Trade and Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste

In a post-conflict context, there was a need for institutionalising existing government systems, skills and processes. At that moment, building institutional capacity within the GoTL had to be seen as a long-term endeavour and the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry was also in need of building that very same institutional capacity. Indeed, the general economic environment placed huge constraints on optimal trade conditions. Timor-Leste had a narrow export base, and what little trade there was existed mostly in agricultural produce. Foreign investments were limited due to high local price levels, which made labour costs in Timor-Leste lose the normal competitive advantage of an LDC and reduced the country's attractiveness to foreign investors. To encourage inward investment and FDI there was a need to improve the enabling environment. It was the intention to increase further commercialisation of agriculture and the production of marketable surpluses for domestic and export markets. Increased agricultural productivity and improved rural livelihoods translate into increased demand for off-farm goods and services. This requires increased private investment that leads to diversification of the economic base. The expert supported the MoTCI to improve the economic environment through the following components: • Support foreign trade through legislation, regulation and research; • Support the Private Sector; • Increase Commerce and promote bilateral and multilateral Agreements; • Complete the legal framework and sector regulations, namely Trade laws and regulations; • Building a Legal Framework of Business; • Create a net of International Trade Agreements; • Strengthening the country's trade and export oriented policy. More specifically, the expert provided support in drafting the legal framework of Business, including the Code of Commerce, licensing, trademark protection, bankruptcy, goods and activities classification and respective regulations, as well as providing legal basis to the development of trade & services.


Project Details
Country TIMOR-LESTE
Start date 2011.10.03
End date 2012.07.29
Client EC Delegation
Sector FRAMEWORK CONTRACTS
Sub-sector Trade policies & competitiveness
Ref. ADE A423-155