Timor-Leste: Basics in East Timor Allowed Slip as Oil Wealth Poured Away

May 5, 2018 | Amanda Hodge, The Australian
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At a debate in East Timor’s capital Dili ahead of next Saturday’s elections, an argument flared between candidates and party flacks over who had the biggest dreams for the 16-year-old nation. East Timor must build up alternative income sources to oil, and quickly. About 90 per cent of the government’s budget comes from dwindling revenues from the Bayu Undan oil and gas field — which will be tapped out by 2023 — and money from its National Petroleum Fund.