theSun | THURSDAY MAY 14 2009
news without borders
Anger over
East Timor
advisers’ pay
DILI, (East Timor): The World Bank has been
forced to defend its consultants in East
Timor after the salaries of those hired by
the finance ministry were leaked to local
media, sparking widespread anger.
Public outrage has reached boiling point
over generous remuneration packages of-
fered to foreign advisers in a country where
half the population of about 1.1 million
people lives below the poverty line.
The World Bank, however, says the sala-
ries are set by the finance ministry in line
with internationally accepted market rates,
and calls the publication of the contract
details a breach of privacy.
“I am concerned that the privacy of
these individuals has been breached, in an
environment in which they are by implica-
tion being identified as miscreants for ac-
cepting international market-rate salaries,”
World Bank country director Nigel Roberts
said.
Bank communications associate Aleta
Moriarty added: “The publication of the per-
sonal details of these well-qualified profes-
sionals is obviously a matter of concern.
“It could, if further fanned, have implica-
tions for their willingness to continue with
their employment in (East Timor). Should
this occur, the net result will undoubtedly
prove negative for development.”
The issue of contention is the salaries
of international advisers employed as part
of the Planning and Financial Management
Capacity Building Programme (PFMCBP), a
five-year project to strengthen East Timor’s
finance ministry.
On April 24, the Tempo Semanal news-
paper published on its website contracts
of international advisers working in the
PFMCBP with annual salaries ranging from
about US$100,000 (RM350,000) to more
than US$500,000 (RM1.7 million).
The opposition Revolutionary Front for
an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) has
jumped on the issue to attack the govern-
ment of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
“The main concern is the process of re-
cruitment and transparency in the ministry
of finance. We have been asking questions
but received no answers at all,” Fretilin
member of parliament Arsenio Bano said.
“International advisers are employed on
huge salaries in a country where half the
population lives below the poverty line. It’s
irresponsible.”
The PFMCBP is funded by the World
Bank through its International Development
Association with support from donors.
Consultants are recruited by the finance
ministry but it is the World Bank, along with
donors such as Australia and New Zealand,
that forks out the money to the foreign
experts.
An international adviser employed as
part of the PFMCBP said the publication of
the contracts had “put a lot of strain to our
already heavy and difficult workload.”
Finance Minister Emilia Pires has
deflected the opposition’s barbs on the
grounds that the government is not liable
for the advisers’ salaries.
“All the foreign advisers plus some local
advisers within my ministry are actually
funded by the foreigners’ money,” she said
last month, referring to the World Bank and
donors.
“Sometimes we do not explain enough
about what we are doing, but that is be-
cause we are just too busy trying to get
the results and improve the lives of our
people.”
The World Bank’s Moriarty said the con-
sultants had “achieved significant results
which have been of widespread benefit to
the Timorese people”.
“Budget execution increased from
US$76 million (RM266 million) in 2005-06
to US$550 million (RM1.9 billion) in 2008,”
Moriarty said. “This spending, along with
increased outlays on infrastructure and
goods and services, delivered an estimated
12% rate of economic growth. These results
can be directly attributed to work by PFM-
CBP consultants.” – AFP
 11
Firms struggle to hire skilled
professionals in Vietnam
HANOI: About a year ago, 2,000 of the best
and brightest from five of Vietnam’s top
universities were invited to take a lengthy
multiple-choice exam for a shot at a job at
Intel Corp.
The giant computer chip maker had
broken ground on its biggest factory ever
in Vietnam’s commercial hub, Ho Chi
Minh City, and the US$1 billion (RM3.5
billion) assembly and test facility, expected
to start operations this year, needed good
engineers.
It was more than just another big
project. The Intel investment would put
Vietnam on the global tech map and help
a rising star in the manufacturing world
move closer to its dream of advancing up
the value chain.
But the results from Intel’s test cast a
spotlight on one of Vietnam’s biggest barri-
ers to achieving that dream: Its inadequate
and inflexible higher education system.
A fraction of the students passed the
written exam, covering physics, electri-
cal engineering, maths and other topics.
They were given an English test and just
40 made the final cut.
Than Trong Phuc, Intel’s country
manager for Vietnam, said he was not
The surprised by the results. A student
looks through a
higher “Is Vietnam a literate society with good
microscope at a
education people with fundamental skills? Yes,” he
said. “But do these people already have laboratory of a
system knowledge about chip-making in place? college in Hanoi.
remains a No. So we have to start from the ground.”
throwback Company spokesman Nick Jacobs said
to the test was not designed for hiring
but rather to “evaluate the com-
Vietnam’s petencies” of students and to be
pre-reform a starting point for dialogue
days with the authorities.
when the Vietnamese news-
economy papers and websites Less than 15% of teaching staff at
reported on the result, higher education institutes have a doctor-
was though, and word ate, and that percentage has not changed
small and quickly spread. in the past 10 years, Waite said. Schools
centralised, The Intel tale soon have little autonomy to tailor curricula
ill-equipped became a go-to an- and students are rewarded for memorisa-
ecdote in the foreign tion skills, not critical thinking.
for the business commu- “I bet very few graduates could give a
country’s nity to highlight the correct answer if they were asked ‘what
new education system’s is a market economy?’,” said one recent
realities.” failings and one of the graduate who declined to be identified.
big problems when in- “But you know what? They made us
vesting in the Southeast memorise the Investment Law which took
Asian country, a lack of effect in 1987.”
skilled professionals. The school system, like other facets of
Among Vietnamese, life in Vietnam, is also plagued with cor-
public debate has blossomed ruption. Plagiarism is reportedly rife.
about what many are calling A student measures dragon-flies World Not surprisingly, the products of such a
an education crisis, especially at at a laboratory. Bank. system are weak. Only 30% of university
a time when some argue education “ T h e and college graduates met requirements
reform should be a top priority as the system is for jobs, VietnamNet quoted the Ministry
government tries to right an economy under enormous of Education and Training as saying.
buffeted by the global recession. pressure to respond by expanding access, Between now and 2015, the two biggest
The higher education system remains and there’s always the risk of expanding cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, will
a throwback to Vietnam’s pre-reform access at the cost of quality. Quality is of need some four million “high-quality”
days when the economy was small and real concern.” workers in fields such as information
centralised, ill equipped for the country’s One huge problem is staff. Political technology, tourism, shipbuilding and
new realities. credentials remain at least as important in finance. Based on the current level and
“The demand for education at the post- the selection of professors as educational quality of training, at best 40-60 percent of
secondary level is enormous. Demand bona fides, despite a clear need for better demand could be met, it said. – Reuters
way outstrips supply,” said Jeffrey Waite, qualified teachers.
who follows education in Vietnam for the
Polls put Congress ahead as India’s vote marathon ends
NEW DELHI: The ruling Congress- A projection by Headlines Today nata Party (BJP)-led alliance taking of smaller parties spearheaded by the
led coalition was slightly ahead of news channel also gave Prime Min- 183-195 seats of the 543 seats at communists and which could hold
the opposition Hindu-nationalist ister Manmohan Singh’s ruling Con- stake. The poll was conducted for the balance of power, could get 105
alliance in India’s general election, gress coalition a lead, but they did India TV and UTV Business. to 121 seats, the C-voter poll said.
but both groups fell short of a not give the basis of the forecast. To rule a party or a coalition re- Voting in nine states ended yester-
parliamentary majority, early pro- Exit polls have had a mixed quires the support of 272 lawmakers day, the final round of a process that
jections said yesterday. record in the past, given the dif- forcing the Congress and the BJP led began on April 16 to allow security
Two exit polls showed both al- ficulties of assessing an electorate by Lal Krishna Advani to launch a forces to move across the sprawling
liances would need new partners, of 714 million people, or more than frantic hunt for new allies. country to supervise the vote.
renewing concerns that a shaky coali- twice the population of the US. “We are looking at political The actual count of votes is
tion government will emerge at a time A poll by C-Voter polling agency uncertainty and horse-trading,” scheduled for Saturday and results
when Asia’s third largest economy is showed the centre-left Congress- Amulya Ganguli, a New Delhi-based from all the races to the 543-mem-
faced with a slowdown and instability led alliance winning 189-201 seats political commentator, said. ber lower house of parliament will
in neighbouring Pakistan. with the opposition Bharatiya Ja- The “Third Front”, a loose coalition be known that day. – Reuters