[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1134, 303], "category": "Text", "text": "legal and commercial aspects of the project is expected be “ready for service” by November 2024 and, combined\nwith the existing fibre optical network put in place as part of the upgrade of the country’s electrical grid, this should\ncontribute to reliable, affordable and high-capacity bandwidth down to the municipality level, even if questions\nremain regarding how the additional bandwidth will be auctioned and commercialised by the three existing telecom\noperators and, possibly, new entrants."}, {"bbox": [96, 311, 1134, 459], "category": "Text", "text": "Nevertheless, extensive collaborative efforts are required to address the low levels of financial and digital literacy in Timor-Leste. According to a Digital and Financial Literacy Survey conducted in 2023⁶, the Timorese possess low-to-moderate levels of digital and financial literacy. Despite significant numbers of adults having access to a smartphone (71% access), just 35% use the Internet daily and almost half (46%) feel that technology is leaving them behind."}, {"bbox": [96, 469, 1134, 619], "category": "Text", "text": "Adults with access to traditional financial products refrain from using digital tools to manage their financial resources. Among those with current accounts, the usage of banking apps and web-based banking services is below 3%. Local economies remain cash-based. Internet access and most digital transactions are conducted on smartphones, with fewer Timorese adults having access to other types of digital devices (access to a smartphone within the household does not guarantee internet access)."}, {"bbox": [96, 628, 1134, 748], "category": "Text", "text": "Limited access to digital devices and to available Internet connection among significant population segments is a pressing issue that manifests in diminished confidence in engaging with digital tools. This hampers participation in online activities, (including finance-related activities) which are limited beyond news and social media consumption."}, {"bbox": [96, 757, 1134, 876], "category": "Text", "text": "The digitalisation of municipal-level services received new impetus with the start of a open source pilot one-stop-\nshop (or single window) project⁷, which will modernise the delivery of government services and improve access\nat the local level. These services to be progressively introduced include issuing passports, ID cards, criminal record\ncertificates, birth and death certificates, and other more informative services provided at the municipal level."}, {"bbox": [96, 884, 1134, 1035], "category": "Text", "text": "The new government has also empowered the Ministry of State Administration (MSA), which is responsible for local government and associated matters, to mediate and align all other ministries and governments, such as the Ministry of Justice directorates in charge of issuing ID cards, birth certificates, and other civil registry documents, the STEA (Technical Secretariat for the Electoral Process) in charge of voter/electoral cards and various other central service departments around Timor-Leste's e-government and digitalisation plan."}, {"bbox": [96, 1044, 1134, 1163], "category": "Text", "text": "In addition, telecom operators and banks are already using somewhat limited connectivity to rapidly implement the ‘digital wallet’ concept and proper e-banking services. Such a private-sector ICT ecosystem for trust services and e-payments will likely facilitate e-commerce and e-business, even without a fully-fledged legal, governmental, or institutional framework for the digital transformation of Timor-Leste’s public and private sectors."}, {"bbox": [96, 1172, 1134, 1291], "category": "Text", "text": "Nevertheless, innovative public-private partnerships are needed to move forward—especially in the core infrastructure required to enable digital transformation, establishing an integrated legislative framework to underpin digital transformation, sufficient training capacity to support civil servants in providing digital services, and more developed and mainstreamed digital platforms overall."}, {"bbox": [96, 1300, 1134, 1480], "category": "Text", "text": "In terms of gender equality and women's empowerment, the importance of applying a gender lens to the PFM system is critical. According to the UN Women's Gender Snapshot 2022 report, women's exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade—a loss that will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action. Reversing this trend will require tackling the problem of online violence, which a study of 51 countries revealed 38 per cent of women had personally experienced. In the case of Timor-Leste, the study 'Digital Youth in Timor-Leste' notes that during the 2022"}, {"bbox": [85, 1572, 1143, 1620], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ https://www.uncdf.org/article/8606/assessing-digital-and-financial-literacy-in-timor-leste-a-survey-on-knowledge-skills-and-access"}, {"bbox": [85, 1621, 355, 1645], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://balkaununiku.gov.tl/en/"}, {"bbox": [1035, 1680, 1141, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 8 of 41"}]