South Central Timor Regency

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.^[6]

However, there are concerns amongst some local community groups, such as the Mollo 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.^[7]

The regency is divided into thirty-two districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census^[3] and the 2020 Census,^[4] together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.^[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 266 rural desa and 12 urban kelurahan), and its post code. They are grouped below for convenience into three geographical sectors (which have no administrative function) plus the regency capital, Soe.

Notes: (a) except the two desa (villages) of Bonleu and Tune (which have a post code of 85561).
(b) comprising 11 kelurahan (Cendana, Kampung Baru, Karang Sirih, Kobekamusa, Kuatae, Nonohonis, Nunumeu, Oekefan, Oebesa, Soe and Taubneno) and 2 desa.
The kelurahan of Kobekamusa is an exclave to the east of the town, separated from the rest of Kota Soe by part of Amanuban Barat District.
(c) except the desa (village) of Mnelalete (which has a post code of 85514). (d) including one kelurahan - Niki-Niki (with 3,189 inhabitants in 2024).