PNBESITL Advocates the 9th Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste to Prioritize WASH Sector on State Budget 2024

The objective of this meeting is to present the relevant progress, findings, and development of the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector based on the observation of PNBESITL and its members. 

The team also submitted the report of a social audit about the condition of water supply and access to rural communities from the period of 2021-2022. The findings of the report display that water remains the community's concern. At the rural level, PNBESITL observed that the operation and maintenance are still an issue in the community where based on Decree Law no.4/2004 community is responsible for rural water management through the establishment of a Group Managing Facility (GMF). However, the majority of the GMFs are not functioning because it is a volunteer job. 

Based on the National Strategic Plan of Timor-Leste 2011-2023, until 2030, all the population of Timor-Leste will have access to adequate, inclusive, and sustainable water and sanitation. 

The result of the census 2022 shows that only 39,5% of households, households with no water tap installation 10,2%, and there is 8,7% of households that continue to access water for their daily needs from the river, springs, ponds, and irrigation. According to the Global Hunger Index 2022's data, Timor-Leste has 30,6% of hunger and has the highest malnutrition rate in Southeast Asia. Meaning, that the majority of the population has no sufficient income to sustain their family's economy. Besides that, the condition of accessing basic infrastructure (Water and Sanitation) in schools, healthcare posts, and households is not enough. This has an implication to the increasing number of malnutrition or stunting with 47% particularly the 5 years old children and below. 

PNBESITL continues to ask the 9th Constitutional Government to prioritize and integrate aspects of water, sanitation, and hygiene in the elaboration of the state budget 2024.