The AMP Government is flexing its political muscles. Marza da Paz holds little against this....
It comes in the form of big budgets (legal or otherwise), Thai rice deals and ships. On 29 November there were an unprecedented number of ships, 7 of them, in Dili harbour, waiting for the eigth one to complete unloading its load of Tres Amigo rice.
As discussed in an earlier entry - Tres Amigos - is a company run by a Mr. Germanu da Silva, formerly Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's former Finance Director in the Office of the Presidency.
Tres Amigo appears to be the Governments preferred supplier of rice which it provided to the general public at a subsidized price. It is certainly good business for the $17,000,000 dollar man, and appears to be good politics for AMP, even if it is totally unsustainable. While stability comes at a price, to be certain, how easy will it be to withdraw subsidies in Timor when the money gets tight again?
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