Search Subscribe
Sign up for our free newsletter and get more of Development Asia delivered to your inbox.
David Freedman Former Country Economist, Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
David Freedman was ADB’s Timor-Leste Country Economist. Before taking this position, he worked for ADB’s Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative in Papua New Guinea, and was an Overseas Development Institute Fellow at the PNG Sustainable Development Program. He has a B.Sc and M.Sc in Economics from the University of Nottingham, England.
Timor-Leste can improve its business environment by focusing on investment promotion efforts, strengthening investment facilitation, and using a more problem-driven approach.
This piece highlights how trade integration and investments in connectivity can help Timor-Leste to achieve its goal of sustainable and inclusive development.
Timor-Leste can give its coffee industry a push by tapping into the niche market of high-quality, premium coffee.
Raise the efficiency of public procurement and land and labor markets to boost productivity, and address growth constraints on agriculture and tourism.
Tackling undernutrition in children under 5 years of age requires political will, resources, and a focus on results.
To increase sustainability and inclusiveness of growth, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste need to look at ways to improve the quality and efficiency of public spending.