The World Bank expects the economy of Timor-Leste, excluding the oil sector, to expand by 2.8 percent this year, growing again after shrinking by 1.8 percent last year, Lusa reports.

The Portuguese news agency quotes a World Bank report as saying the Timor-Leste non-oil economy contracted last year because of a reduction in public spending, which accounts for 75 percent of gross domestic product, and because inclement weather cut the supply of coffee available for export.

Including the oil sector, the economy of Timor-Leste shrank by 10 percent last year, Lusa quotes the bank as saying.