Over the years that PDT has been running its verification services, a number of people and organizations have come to us asking for information on Timor-Leste businesses. Last week we received a typical request of a list of construction businesses in Dili, but it was from group that had never approached us before. It made me realize that, even though our service is geared towards building local business and easing the work of people looking to buy and sell, our database can benefit groups outside our intended audience.
Scott McCord
Scott joined PDT's team in Timor-Leste in August of last year. He arrived in Dili directly after finishing his undergraduate degree at Georgetown University in business management.
The Voices of District Matchmakers
by Scott McCordMarch 23, 2011
The district matchmakers, who are they? These men and women have been the movers and shakers of PDT in the districts, tracking down local suppliers to meet national and international requests. And if you’ve traveled around the districts, you know that tracking down even the simple things (from personal experiences – playing cards and a bottle of wine) can be quite a challenge.
Introducing Peace Dividend Trust’s Nine District Aggregated Impact Assessment Study
by Scott McCordMarch 7, 2011
Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) is excited to present its latest micro matchmaking impact assessment study. Unlike the last two reports published (on Baucau and Lautem), this is an analysis of what exactly is achieved through the matchmaking program country wide.
The Voice of an Exporter – Raflima’s Almerio Moniz
by Scott McCordMarch 1, 2011
Exports are of growing significance in Timor-Leste. The government, the development community, and businesses across the country all know this. It’s one way Timor-Leste is really going to start earning money. Money not dependent on aid or oil.
The Voice of a Covalima Businessman: Marcelino Soares Pinto
by Scott McCordFebruary 14, 2011
We here at Peace Dividend Trust often talk about connecting “buyers to suppliers” through our business matchmaking program. To get a better idea of what some of these “suppliers” look like, I did a week long district excursion with the office flip video camera. One of the first people I met with was Mr. Marcelino Soares Pinto in Suai, Covalima. He had quite the story to tell.
Lautem Impact Assessment Study – Raising Cattle, Building Business
by Scott McCordFebruary 3, 2011
Lautem boasts a lot of interesting things: Jaco Island, the epitome of a deserted tropical isle; Com, a picturesque little fledgling resort town by the sea; one of the first batako presses in the districts outside of Dili. But from an economic standpoint, one thing Lautem’s got that’s worth mentioning is cattle. And that’s exactly the picture PDM-TL’s most recent impact assessment study paints while reviewing over one hundred business transactions tracked across the district.
East and West Timor – Building Business across the Border
by Scott McCordJanuary 20, 2011
Cross border trade between Timor-Leste and neighboring Indonesia has provided an opportunity to build bridges and markets yet, although good intentions exist on both side, remains relatively inaccessible to most Timorese suppliers. At first glimpse, it might be hard to tell why. Businessmen and women in West Timor have money and the desire to spend; farmers in East Timor have product and the aspiration to sell. What’s gone wrong here?
Presenting the Baucau Micro Matchmaking Report
by Scott McCordNovember 18, 2010
We are excited to announce that the aforementioned Baucau Micro Matchmaking Report is here and ready for you to read. Many thanks to our IT guru, Anna Wilson, in NYC for putting together a great display page that is currently linked from the Peace Dividend Trust homepage. A big thank you also goes out to PDM-TL’s Baucau micro matchmakers who, throughout the two years of the project’s operations, have achieved some very impressive results. And of course, we could never have done a report of this kind without the key support of our micro matchmaking associates in Dili, Ilidio Ximenes and Brigida Soares. You can find the report in either English or Tetum.
Arsenault Family Foundation Issues $50,000 Challenge Grant to Support Peace Dividend Trust’s Economic Recovery Work in Timor-Leste
by Scott McCordOctober 26, 2010
The Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) is pleased to announce that the Arsenault Family Foundation (AFF) has approved a 1:1 matching grant of $50,000 to support PDT’s Peace Dividend Marketplace in Timor-Leste. Please see the attached award letter from AFF for more information.
Assessing the Impact: Baucau Micro Matchmaking Report Coming Soon
by Scott McCordOctober 22, 2010
The Peace Dividend Marketplace Timor-Leste (PDM-TL) project has been up and running for the past three years, and we’ve got some great figures to support the value of our work. To date, the project has facilitated over $17 million into the local economy. If you’ve been following this blog, you’re already aware of the types of services PDM-TL offers. And you probably also know by now, our big goal, our raison d’être, is to convince actors in the international aid industry to not only recognize the importance of local procurement, but to go out and do it.
Haiti
- PDT Cosponsors “Buy Haiti, Restore Haiti” Conference
- Le Nouvelliste: Le secteur de la construction commence à ressentir l’effet positif des fonds d’aide / Aid dollars starting to bolster Haiti's construction sector
- Restoring a Neighborhood Park
- Le secteur de la construction en Haïti commence à ressentir l’effet positif des fonds d’aide
- Aid Dollars Starting to Bolster Haiti’s Construction Sector
