South Central Timor Regency

South Central Timor Regency (Indonesian: Kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan) is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Established in 1958, the regency has its seat (capital) in Soe.

Contents

• Map of South Timor Tengah Regency East Nusa Tenggara Indonesia
• Administration
• References

Map of South Timor Tengah Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Mount Mutis, the highest mountain in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, is in the northern part of the regency. International visitors have noted that the region rich in bird life and that the area is a good site for birdwatching.

The local economy in the area is poor and underdeveloped. Subsistence agriculture is the main economic activity in many villages. In addition, when opportunities are available, some local village communities sometimes undertake unregulated mining or other resource-based activities. For example, in the Kolbano Beach area south of Soe, there is a local industry in the collection of coloured stones. The stones, which come in a range of attractive shapes and sizes, are sold to local companies. The companies in turn export the stones to countries such as Australia, China, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere. Sacks of stones sell (mid-2012) for between Rp 10,000 to Rp 25,000 (about US$ 1.00 to US$ 2.50). Local villagers are reported to be able to earn around Rp 50,000 (US$ 5) per day collecting stones although there are complaints that the prices paid to workers who collect the stones are too low.

However, there are concerns amongst some local community groups, such as the Molo people in the Mount Mutis Sanctuary, about the environmental impacts of mining in the area. There has been social resistance, for example, to the activities of mining firms conducting marble quarrying. Partly as a result of the local resistance, marble mining firms abandoned their work in the area in 2010.