Cova Lima: Successful Megaproject or National Disgrace?

That's the headline from Tempo Semanal's webpage. Jose Belo, Tempo Semanal's chief editor visited the site of one of Timor-Leste's mega projects recently and his conclusion: "The vision of Cova Lima and the Tasi Mane megaproject is still just a fantasy, while the reality is a national disgrace." The infrastructure condition in Cova Lima district itself, according to Belo:

Just four kilometres east of Suai town is a bridge called the Bali bridge. Many people fly from Dili to Bali to enjoy themselves and relax, but in Suai they cannot even get past the broken Bali Bridge. Then the roads from Suai town to the population in the subdistricts are so bad that minibuses and and trucks cannot go to many places, and people are forced to use motorcycle taxis. Old age pensioners in Fatumean and other isolated places receive their pension every six months, but they must spend $30 to go from Fatumean to Suai one way on a motorcycle taxi to get their pensions. This is not the same country or situation that the Minister of Petroleum and Minerals Resources is trying to sell to foreign investors.

Is this the more sobering account of the existing reality in some of Timor-Leste's far-flung districts? Start with the Belo's article and then go see for yourself.