| ID | 080627 |
| Title Proper | Oil resources of Timor-Leste |
| Other Title Information | curse or blessing? |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Lundahl, Mats ; Sjöholm, Fredrik |
| Publication | 2008. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Timor-Leste is among the youngest nations in the world. It began its independence under difficult circumstances: poverty is widespread, education is poor, the industrial sector is non-existent, and political turbulence is on the rise. On the positive side, future oil revenues are predicted to be substantial, which could potentially be a great help in Timor-Leste's struggle for development. This paper examines critically the possibility for Timor-Leste to use oil revenues to achieve economic development. It describes how difficult it is to estimate the future revenues because of volatile prices, territorial disputes, and insufficient seismological mapping. It continues with a discussion of the 'resource curse' - the difficulty of combining natural resources with economic development. Moreover, the particular challenges for Timor-Leste's development are dealt with at some length, as are possible ways to avoid the resource curse. |
| `In' analytical Note | Pacific Review Vol. 21, No.1; Mar 2008: p67-86 |
| Journal Source | Pacific Review Vol. 21, No.1; Mar 2008: p67-86 |
| Key Words | Timor-Leste ; Oil ; Resource Curse ; Economic Development ; Energy Security |