\n<\/p>\n
Ms Lim said guesthouse owners outside Dili often have no online presence, and can only be reached through local contacts like her. Even then, replies can be slow and double-bookings happen.<\/p>\n
She has found ways to adapt and overcome such inconveniences by planning for backup accommodation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get your headaches, right, because there (might be) no plan, or if there’s a plan, it keeps changing,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I learned to let go, and it helped me grow as a person as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cost is another surprise for some travellers. A round trip from Singapore to Dili costs at least S$800 (US$618) in airfare, due to the scarcity of international flight connections.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Timor-Leste also uses the US dollar to underpin post-independence economic stability, which keeps prices higher than in neighbouring countries with weaker currencies.<\/p>\n
Investors have hit roadblocks too. Singapore-owned Pelican Paradise Group was left in limbo after its US$700 million project was cancelled by the Timor-Leste government following 18 years of delays, the Business Times has reported.<\/p>\n
Mr Julian Chiang, a Singaporean businessman who has lived in Timor-Leste for 14 years, said foreign investors remain wary of committing large sums because foreigners are barred from owning land.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I want to bring in $10 million, $15 million to build a building and the land doesn\u2019t belong to me? If you take the same money, you can go to another country, and get it back in five years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo here they need to make it a bit more attractive for real investors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Da Silva said the country needs more foreign direct investment to “build up the nation”, while also working within its domestic procedures.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pointed to Timorese who have already reinvested in hotels, Timor Plaza and aviation, and said Timor-Leste remains open to partnerships with foreign and local private companies alike, “as long as they comply with local regulations”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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