Contact Information:
Phone: (+670) 7832 7074
Email: info@starworld-timorleste.tl
Website: www.starworld-timorleste.tl
Address: Rua Haburas Bairo Pite, Dom Aleixo, Dili
Working Hours:
Weekdays: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday: 2:00pm - 5:30pm
Sundays & Public Holidays: Closed
ANJET Signs Landmark MoU with YEGAP and Receives Official AYEC Membership Invitation at Asia-Pacific Business Forum in Dili
Two historic milestones for Timorese young entrepreneurship were achieved in a single afternoon at Timor Plaza, Dili, on 26 May 2026, as ANJET formalised a regional partnership with the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Asia-Pacific and received a formal invitation to join the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council.
On 26 May 2026, the Suai Room at Timor Plaza, Dili, was the venue for what Antoninho J. Guterres Ximenes, President of the National Association of Young Timorese Entrepreneurs (ANJET) and Founder and CEO of Star World Holdings, described as “a historic afternoon.” The Asia-Pacific Business Forum, co-organised by the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Asia-Pacific (YEGAP), and ANJET, brought together regional business leaders, international partners, government representatives, and Timorese entrepreneurs for an event that produced two concrete and consequential outcomes for Timor-Leste’s private sector.
Held under the theme “One Asia-Pacific, One Family: Strengthening Regional Business Ties,” the event formed part of a broader programme running from 25 to 28 May 2026 in Dili, supported by the International Trade Centre and funded in part by the European Union.
Milestone 01
ANJET and YEGAP Sign Memorandum of Understanding
A formal MoU establishing a partnership between Timor-Leste’s national young entrepreneurs association and the Asia-Pacific’s premier young entrepreneurship network.
Milestone 02
AYEC Formally Invites ANJET to Join as Timor-Leste's National Member
The ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council issued a formal invitation to ANJET to join as the official national young entrepreneurs association representing the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
A Forum Built on More Than Words
The Asia-Pacific Business Forum brought together an exceptional group of regional and international stakeholders. Dignitaries in attendance included H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, H.E. Thorsten Bargfrede (Ambassador of the European Union to Timor-Leste), Mr. Jorge Serrano (President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste), Mr. Peter McMullin AM (President, CACCI), Mr. Hiromi Aoki (Chairman, YEGAP), Mr. RJ Tan (ASEAN Young Entrepreneur Carnival Chair), and Mr. Stuart Mkojera-Thomson (CACCI Vice President).
The event was more than a conference. It was a signal: Timor-Leste, as the newest member of ASEAN, is ready to engage at the regional level: not as an observer, but as a participant with its own associations, its own entrepreneurs, and its own ambitions.
The Prime Minister’s Call to Action
H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão delivered the keynote address, speaking directly to the entrepreneurs gathered in the room and to Timor-Leste’s broader national development agenda. His remarks were candid about the challenge ahead: that political independence, while won, must now be matched by economic sovereignty, and that the private sector is central to that goal.
The Prime Minister spoke of the significance of Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership and its ambition to host the ASEAN Summit in 2029, which he described as “the largest international event ever held in our country, with opportunities for our private sector, including for young entrepreneurs who are ready to provide services at a regional standard.”
"I urge Timor-Leste's young entrepreneurs to take risks, build businesses and support our national development. If you succeed, our nation will succeed."
H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão · Keynote Address, Asia-Pacific Business Forum, Timor Plaza, Dili, 26 May 2026
Addressing international guests directly, the Prime Minister called on regional partners to mentor, invest in, and build lasting relationships with Timor-Leste’s young entrepreneurs, describing organisations like CACCI, YEGAP, and ANJET as platforms that “create relationships, give young entrepreneurs access to ideas, confidence and partners, and help a small country participate in a larger regional economy.”
The MoU Signing: A Bridge Between Timor-Leste and the Asia-Pacific
The centrepiece of the afternoon’s programme was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ANJET and the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Asia-Pacific (YEGAP). The MoU was signed in the presence of H.E. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and witnessed by the full gathering of regional and international delegates.
(Left to right) Mr. Hiromi Aoki, Chairman of YEGAP; H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão; and Mr. Antoninho J. Guterres Ximenes, President of ANJET, display the signed Memorandum of Understanding at the Asia-Pacific Business Forum, Timor Plaza, Dili, 26 May 2026.
A Forum Built on More Than Words
The Asia-Pacific Business Forum brought together an exceptional group of regional and international stakeholders. Dignitaries in attendance included H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, H.E. Thorsten Bargfrede (Ambassador of the European Union to Timor-Leste), Mr. Jorge Serrano (President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste), Mr. Peter McMullin AM (President, CACCI), Mr. Hiromi Aoki (Chairman, YEGAP), Mr. RJ Tan (ASEAN Young Entrepreneur Carnival Chair), and Mr. Stuart Mkojera-Thomson (CACCI Vice President).
The event was more than a conference. It was a signal: Timor-Leste, as the newest member of ASEAN, is ready to engage at the regional level: not as an observer, but as a participant with its own associations, its own entrepreneurs, and its own ambitions.
The Prime Minister’s Call to Action
H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão delivered the keynote address, speaking directly to the entrepreneurs gathered in the room and to Timor-Leste’s broader national development agenda. His remarks were candid about the challenge ahead: that political independence, while won, must now be matched by economic sovereignty, and that the private sector is central to that goal.
The Prime Minister spoke of the significance of Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership and its ambition to host the ASEAN Summit in 2029, which he described as “the largest international event ever held in our country, with opportunities for our private sector, including for young entrepreneurs who are ready to provide services at a regional standard.”
The agreement establishes a formal framework for cooperation between ANJET and YEGAP, connecting Timor-Leste’s national association of young entrepreneurs with a regional network spanning the Asia-Pacific, and opening access to joint programmes, shared expertise, trade and investment connections, and regional entrepreneurship platforms.
In his remarks, Antoninho J. Guterres Ximenes, addressing the gathering as ANJET President, placed the significance of the MoU in terms that went beyond a formal document.
“The MoU signed today between ANJET and YEGAP is more than a formal agreement. It is a bridge, between Timor-Leste and the Asia-Pacific, between our local entrepreneurs and a regional network of partners, between the economy we have today and the economy we are determined to build. That bridge was signed here, in Dili, on Timorese soil. That will be remembered.”
Antoninho J. Guterres Ximenes · President, ANJET; Founder and CEO, Star World Holdings
Asia-Pacific Business Forum, Timor Plaza, Dili, 26 May 2026
The AYEC Invitation: Timor-Leste Enters the ASEAN Entrepreneurship Network
On the same day, ANJET received a formal written invitation from the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council (AYEC) to join as the official national young entrepreneurs association representing the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The invitation was issued by AYEC Chair Charmaine Co and AYEC Secretary General Deborah Melissa Bottreau, dated 25 May 2026.
The formal invitation from the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council (AYEC) to ANJET, received on 25 May 2026, inviting ANJET to become the official national young entrepreneurs association representing the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste within AYEC.
The ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council serves as the collective voice of young entrepreneurs across all ASEAN member states, fostering regional cooperation, entrepreneurship development, business connectivity, and cross-cultural understanding. Membership connects ANJET to a network spanning all ten established ASEAN nations and now, for the first time, Timor-Leste as the newest member state. The invitation specifically opens participation in the 2026 11th ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival, to be held in the Philippines.
The invitation directly acknowledges Timor-Leste’s formal accession to ASEAN on 26 October 2025 as the foundation for this new chapter. In accepting, ANJET places Timor-Leste’s young entrepreneurs inside one of the most consequential regional networks available to the country’s private sector.
“Timor-Leste joined ASEAN in October 2025. Today, ANJET joined YEGAP. Today, ANJET was invited into AYEC. These are not coincidences; they are a direction. And ANJET will keep walking in that direction, with every partner in this room alongside us.”
Antoninho J. Guterres Ximenes · President, ANJET; Founder and CEO, Star World Holdings
Asia-Pacific Business Forum, Timor Plaza, Dili, 26 May 2026
Timor-Leste as a Strategic Destination: The Investment and Trade Case
Rounding out the forum’s substantive programme, a dedicated presentation was delivered by Mr. Roberto Lai, Deputy Executive Director of TradeInvest Timor-Leste, delivering a session titled “Timor-Leste: A Strategic Gateway for Investment, Trade and Partnership.” As the national investment promotion and trade facilitation agency of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, TradeInvest plays a central role in translating the country’s economic potential into concrete opportunities for international investors and trading partners.
Mr. Lai’s session provided the regional and international delegates in the room with a structured overview of Timor-Leste’s investment landscape, trade frameworks, and strategic positioning in the Asia-Pacific economy, placing the country’s ASEAN membership, its natural resources, and its developing infrastructure within a coherent narrative for business engagement. The presentation reinforced a consistent message across the day’s programme: that Timor-Leste is not only open for business, but actively building the institutional and regulatory conditions to make regional and international partnership viable, transparent, and mutually rewarding.
The inclusion of TradeInvest Timor-Leste in the forum programme was itself significant, signalling direct government agency involvement in facilitating the private sector connections the event was designed to build and providing international entrepreneurs with a clear institutional point of contact for investment enquiries and trade facilitation within Timor-Leste.
Mr. Roberto Lai, Deputy Executive Director of TradeInvest Timor-Leste, presents “Timor-Leste: A Strategic Gateway for Investment, Trade and Partnership” at the Asia-Pacific Business Forum, Timor Plaza, Dili, 26 May 2026.
Panel Discussion: Strengthening Business Ties Between Timor-Leste and Asia-Pacific Countries
The afternoon’s programme featured a substantive panel discussion on “Strengthening business ties between Timor-Leste and Asia-Pacific countries”, bringing together government, regional entrepreneurship networks, and the Timorese private sector in a single conversation about what regional integration looks like in practice. The panel was moderated by Mr. Francisco Godinho, National Trade Expert at the International Trade Centre.
Three panelists represented the full spectrum of perspectives the forum was designed to bridge. Mr. Elias de Jesus Fátima, Director General of Commerce at Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, brought the government’s institutional voice to the discussion, signalling that the public sector is an active partner in private sector development rather than a passive observer. Mr. Hiromi Aoki, Chairman of YEGAP, contributed the regional network perspective, drawing on YEGAP’s experience connecting young entrepreneurs across the Asia-Pacific. And Ms. Mita Vieira, Deputy CEO of Haksolok Group and a member of both ANJET and YEGAP, represented the Timorese private sector directly: a young Timorese woman entrepreneur already operating within a regional network and demonstrating, from the panel itself, that Timorese business leadership belongs at that table.
Panel Discussion: “Strengthening business ties between Timor-Leste and Asia-Pacific countries.” (Left to right) Mr. Elias de Jesus Fátima, Director General of Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Mr. Hiromi Aoki, Chairman of YEGAP; Ms. Mita Vieira, Deputy CEO of Haksolok Group. Moderated by Mr. Francisco Godinho, National Trade Expert at the International Trade Centre. Asia-Pacific Business Forum, Timor Plaza, Dili, 26 May 2026.
What This Means for Timor-Leste’s Private Sector
The two milestones achieved on 26 May 2026 represent more than ceremonial achievements. They are structural developments: ones that expand the access, the networks, and the standing of Timorese entrepreneurs in the regional economy at the precise moment when Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership is creating the conditions for that access to mean something.
For businesses, the ANJET-YEGAP partnership creates a formal bridge to a regional network of entrepreneurs, investors, and business associations across the Asia-Pacific. For young entrepreneurs specifically, the AYEC invitation provides direct access to ASEAN-wide programmes, policy platforms, and the 11th ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival, a regional convening that connects the next generation of business leaders across Southeast Asia.
About the Organisations
ANJET and YEGAP Sign Memorandum of Understanding
ANJET: Associação Nacional dos Jovens Empresários Timorenses (National Association of Young Timorese Entrepreneurs). The peak body representing Timor-Leste’s young entrepreneur community. President: Antoninho J. Guterres Ximenes.
YEGAP: Young Entrepreneurs Group of Asia-Pacific. A regional network connecting young business leaders across the Asia-Pacific. Chairman: Mr. Hiromi Aoki.
CACCI: Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Representing chambers of commerce across the Asia-Pacific for nearly 60 years. President: Mr. Peter McMullin AM.
AYEC: ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council. The collective voice of young entrepreneurs across ASEAN member states. 2026 Chair: Charmaine Co.
Additional Partners: International Trade Centre Timor-Leste; European Union; Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste (CCITL); Good Business Foundation.
For Star World Holdings, the significance is direct. The company’s Founder and CEO has led Timor-Leste’s private sector delegation at an international forum, signed a regional MoU, accepted a membership into an ASEAN-wide network, and closed the day with a clear direction. The same entrepreneurial leadership that has built Star World Holdings across six business divisions is now operating at the Asia-Pacific level, and the networks, partnerships, and regional visibility being built through ANJET benefit the entire Timorese private sector.
Two milestones. One afternoon. This is what Timorese enterprise is capable of.
The Asia-Pacific Business Forum in Dili on 26 May 2026 will be recorded as one of the more consequential days for Timor-Leste’s young entrepreneurship community, not because of the scale of the event, but because of the permanence of what was signed, accepted, and put in motion. As Antoninho Guterres Ximenes said from the podium: that bridge was signed here, in Dili, on Timorese soil. That will be remembered.