The support programme from New Zealand to Timor-Leste (East Timor) totals 30.2 million New Zealand dollars (about US$19 million) by 2019, according to the new budget released by the New Zealand government.

In addition to Timor-Leste, New Zealand has planned for the next four years, in Asia, specific programmes for Indonesia (US$40.1 million) and Myanmar (US$27.5 million) plus additional assistance programmes worth about US$79 million.

Highlighting the history of its support to Timor-Leste since independence, the government of New Zealand stressed that the assistance provided for the coming years should focus on “supporting stability, education, economic development and growth of the private sector” in the country.

Overall the programme provides for support in the amount of 1 billion New Zealand dollars (563.7 million euros) for the Pacific region, of which more than half will be channeled into economic development programmes, according to Portuguese news agency Lusa . (macauhub/MZ)