Fretilin called on the government in parliament today to explain its strategy for dealing with fuel price increases and the rising cost of other goods due to the Middle East conflict.
“The Fretilin parliamentary group calls on the ninth government to explain to the people its strategy for ensuring food supply, guaranteeing energy and keeping essential goods available during the period of the Middle East conflict,” said Fretilin MP José da Cruz.
The MP, speaking before the order of the day, said his party is concerned because when fuel prices rise, “the prices of other goods and commodities rise automatically.”
“The increase in the cost of living will affect, above all, poor or low-income families. Meanwhile, the wealthier, as well as fuel and rice owners and distributors, may profit from this conflict situation,” the MP stressed.
José da Cruz said some fuel stations have already started raising prices, even though their stock is old and “arrived in Timor-Leste before the conflict began.”
“The government’s inability to control prices and guarantee the availability of these goods will cause our people — especially the poorest or those living on irregular incomes — to suffer greatly,” he said.
The MP also called on the government to clarify how many days’ worth of fuel and rice reserves — the dietary staple of Timorese people — the country holds.
“If those reserves are insufficient, what policies will the government adopt to ensure the people do not go hungry, that electricity does not fail and that the population’s mobility is not disrupted?” the MP asked.
Read more: Death toll from dengue outbreak in East Timor rises to 22
José da Cruz also sought clarification on whether the Petroleum Fund is being affected by financial market volatility and currency fluctuations.
