Ramos Horta wants Aust TAFE training for E Timorese
President-elect of East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, says he wants several hundred Timorese to come to Australia to study at TAFE, to help boost the number of skilled workers in his country.
Speaking on ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live program, the former prime minister said his nation is in desperate need of skilled workers, and TAFE can give young people opportunities not available in their own country.
He says he has spoken to the Australian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister about the plan, and got a positive reaction.
“If Australia will be generous enough to open up TAFE’s around Australia to hundreds of Timorese, in five or 10 years from now, we will have thousands of people with good English, good vocational training,” he said.
Dr Ramos Horta says his Government needs to support its own agricultural industry if it wants to begin to compete on the international market.
He says East Timor has all the resources to support itself, and it is now up to government to create trade opportunities and help local growers expand their businesses.
He says it is impossible for farmers to make a profit when products such as rice are cheaper to import than to produce locally.
“The country has tremendous potential, we have resources, the country can feed itself,” he said.
“The state, the Government, must, at least for five or 10 years, subsidise our agriculture.
“We get our farmers to produce rice, or corn, and the state guarantees purchase on this, at a fair price.”
Meanwhile, fugitive army rebel leader Alfredo Reinado says he is ready to give himself up to East Timor authorities.
Dr Ramos Horta says he has met with two bishops to discuss a peaceful surrender by Major Reinado - possibly this week.
Major Reinado has been on the run since Australian-led troops attacked his mountain hide-out in March.
Last August, Major Reinado escaped along with 50 other inmates from a prison where he was being held on charges of involvement in a wave of violence that killed 37 people and drove 150,000 from their homes.