Media Releases
05 of March of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 5, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 5, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved, with amendments, the proposal for a Government Decree presented by the acting Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Agio Pereira, on the first amendment to Government Decree no. 2/2018 of February 21 that regulates the procedures of private investment. With the approved Legal Diploma, the applications for Investor's Certificate submitted during the validity of Law no. 14/2011, dated September 28 and still pending, are evaluated and decided by the Investment and Export Promotion Agency of Timor-Leste, IP (Tradeinvest) under the terms of said law and the proposal to issue the Investor Certificate shall be sent by the Executive Director of TradeInvest to the member of the Government responsible for the coordination of economic affairs. This proposal for a Government Decree aims to clarify doubts regarding the regime applicable to applications for the issue of an Investor's Certificate submitted, up until December 31, 2017, while the former Private Investment Law was still in force and that had not been decided by Tradeinvest.
The Council of Ministers continued its analysis of the proposal for amendment to the Subsidiary Agreement with the Government of Australia for the Roads for Development (R4D) Phase II program submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Works. This program of the Government of Timor-Leste, begun in 2012, has the technical support of the Government of Australia and the International Labor Organization (ILO) and aims to provide social and economic benefits to rural populations through management and improvement of the conditions of the national rural road network. Under this project, 552km of roads were rehabilitated, laboratories for soil testing were set up in several municipalities and actions were taken to develop the capacity of the private and public sector for the management, rehabilitation and construction of roads. During the second phase, this program aims to support the establishment of an Interministerial Road Forum, the development of the Rural Roads Policy and the implementation of a standard system of design and construction of rural roads to ensure their quality. The Council of Ministers granted full powers to the Minister of Public Works, Salvador dos Reis Pires, for the signature of said agreement.
The Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano, presented the proposal for a Government Resolution, approved by the Council of Ministers, on the implementation of the Strategy for Administrative Decentralization and Installation of Local Representatives, reaffirming the commitment, the will and the Government's determination to resume and boost the implementation of the strategy of administrative decentralization and installation of representative bodies of Local Government. This Government Resolution foresees a program of activities that includes the elaboration of legislation, revision of the statutes and maps of personnel of the Municipal Administrations, formation of human resources, construction, maintenance or requalification of infrastructures and elections of representative organs of Local Government, with the objective of providing more effective public services, increasing civic participation, developing the private sector in rural areas, and establishing strong state institutions throughout the country. ENDS
27 of February of 2019Day Off on the 6th March 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Day Off on the 6th March 2019
Law no. 10/2005, of August 10, in the wording defined by Law no. 3/2016, of May 25, establishes the days that are national holidays, the official commemorative dates and the other circumstances in which tolerance days-off may be granted. When it comes to tolerance days-off, paragraph C) of nº 2 of article 7 of the same law determines that a religious celebration not contemplated by law may be subject to tolerance.
Among the official commemorative dates is Ash Wednesday, which, each year, has a variable date. Ash Wednesday is one of the solemnities that holds great significance in the Christian community. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent on the calendar of the Catholic religion that occurs forty days before Easter and this year corresponds to Wednesday, March 6.
Thus, considering the provision in paragraph c) of nº 2 of article 7, and in paragraph d) of nº 6 of that article, the Government determines the following:
1. A tolerance day-off is granted on March 6, 2019, throughout the day;
2. This order covers all officials and agents of the Ministries or services under their dependency, as well as of the institutes and bodies integrated in the indirect administration of the State. ENDS
27 of February of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 27, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 27, 2019
The Council of Ministers met in the Government Palace in Dili and approved the proposal for a Government Decree presented by the Acting Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites, on the implementation of the General State Budget (OGE) for 2019. This diploma sets out the rules and procedures for implementation, monitoring and reporting applicable to the State Budget for 2019, which are essential for a rigorous and adequate monitoring of budget execution, as a decisive instrument for the full compliance with the principles and guidelines established by the 2019 State Budget.
The Council of Ministers approved a proposed Decree-Law that regulates the legal regime of onshore oil operations, presented by the National Petroleum and Minerals Authority of Timor-Leste (ANPM). The approved Decree-Law establishes a special legal regime for the exploration and production of oil (upstream) in Timor-Leste's onshore zone, pursuant to article 31 of the Petroleum Activities Law and considering the importance of this Decree-Law to promote the right of economic agents or consumers and users of goods and services of the petroleum industry and to ensure that onshore oil operations are carried out with minimum harm to the environment, giving priority to obligations of health and safety, and consistent with industry best practices.
Finally, the Government analysed a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Works to amend the Subsidiary Agreement with the Government of Australia for Roads for Development (R4D) Phase II . This program of the Government of Timor-Leste, begun in 2012, has the technical support of the Government of Australia and the International Labour Organization (ILO) and aims to provide social and economic benefits to rural populations through management and improvement of the conditions of the national rural road network. Under this project, 552km of roads were rehabilitated, laboratories were set up for soil testing in several municipalities and actions were taken to develop the capacity of the private and public sector for the management, rehabilitation and construction of roads. During the second phase, this program aims to support the establishment of an Interministerial Road Forum, the development of the Rural Roads Policy and the implementation of a standard system of design and construction of rural roads to ensure their quality.The proposed amendment to the Subsidiary Agreement for Phase II of the "Roads for Development" program will be re-examined at the next meeting.* ENDS
* Due to an error in the statement published and distributed on February 27,this proposal was announced as having been approved. This correct version of the Press Release of the Council of Ministers Meeting of February 27, 2019 should be considered.
20 of February of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 20, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 20, 2019
The Council of Ministers met in the Government Palace in Dili and discussed the proposal for the Code of Conduct for the members of the Eight Constitutional Government, which will be a self-regulatory instrument that provides clear guidance on the lawful and ethical behavior of members of the Government in the exercise of their day-to-day functions. The document was approved with the changes and suggestions of the members of the Council of Ministers.
The Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL) submitted to the Council of Ministers the BCTL Regulation on general rules applicable to the credit guarantee system for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This system is a public program through which the State shares credit risk with commercial banks and aims to promote entrepreneurship and job creation, encourage the formalization and growth of SMEs, facilitate access to credit in priority sectors, and contribute to expanding access to banking and financial services.
The Council of Ministers has analyzed the presentation of telecoms operator Ceslink, a national consortium composed of Ceslink, a computer technology company, and the Oka-D'tel consortium, which will form the country's fourth largest telecom operator. Ceslink intends to offer a quality, affordable and cheap telecommunications service with modern and efficient technology to guarantee high speed internet, quality communications in all areas of the country and guarantee security and confidentiality of communications.
The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, presented the proposal for a Decree-Law, approved by the Council of Ministers, on the first amendment to the Scheme for Promotion of Public Administration Careers. With this amendment, article 7 of Decree-Law no. 1/2018, of January 24, is amended, establishing a maximum limit of ten percent of the total number of personnel that make up the category or professional group that qualify for promotion.
The Council of Ministers approved the Government's proposal for a Resolution, submitted by the Prime Minister, on the promotion of measures for the general cleaning of population centers, with the aim of mobilizing civil society organizations to associate themselves with all the bodies and services of the public administration as well as schools in carrying out actions to clean public spaces, reaffirming the commitment and determination of the State in the realization of the right of all citizens to a healthy, ecologically balanced environment. The collective actions of general cleaning will be executed between the hours of 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM, of the last Friday of each month, beginning on February 22, 2019.
The acting Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites, presented the proposal for a Government Resolution, approved by the Council of Ministers, regarding the rules and criteria for the selection, management and evaluation of the investment made by the Petroleum Fund. With this Resolution, the Government decides to express agreement and support the rules and criteria for the application of the Petroleum Fund in petroleum operations, through the conclusion of commercial transactions through the Timor Gap, EP, in accordance with the legislation in force and taking into account the nature of this type of investments and the respective strategic objectives for the State of Timor-Leste, which allows for the use of the PF to advance the development of this important and significant oil project, generating numerous financial, economic and social benefits for the people of Timor-Leste, and allowing the diversification and development of the national economy. ENDS
13 of February of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 13, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 13, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and reviewed the presentation of the Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding the National Voluntary Review (NVR) on the implementation of SDGs. The SDG National Voluntary Review process seeks to involve all stakeholders in accelerating the progress of SDG implementation, establishing a good baseline for monitoring implementation progress and sharing the history of Timor-Leste to the world, highlighting achievements and challenges. The NVR will be presented at the High-Level Political Forum in July 2019 in New York. The SDG working group was restablished in January 2019, is coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister through the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (UPMA) and consists of representatives of the National Parliament, Ministries, civil society, private sector, media, religious institutions and development partners. The Council of Ministers reviewed and approved the following proposed recommendations for NVR: SDG 16, "Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions", should be the cross-cutting theme of the NVR report, focusing in depth on the six SDG (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9) aligned with Phase 1 of the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) and in addition to the second recommendation, ODS 8 and 17 will be discussed in depth.
The Council of Ministers reviewed the Ministry of Justice's presentation on the National Cadastral System project, which since 2013 has carried out the collection and management of cadastral information with the objective of supporting the implementation of a set of transparent and fair rules for the regulation of mechanisms for recognition and attribution of ownership and transfer of immovable property. The presentation consisted of a summary of the background, the activities carried out, the results achieved, and the challenges encountered since the beginning of the project.
The Council of Ministers approved the award of the contract for the implementation of the project and supervision of the construction, improvement and maintenance of the Baucau - Venilale - Viqueque National Road, an intervention on a section of about 58km, in an important link between the municipalities of the eastern tip and the capital Dili, culminating a procurement process started in 2017 and which will be financed with an ADB loan.
The Ministry of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs, together with the Ministers responsible, Minister for Finance and Minister for Economic Affairs, presented the proposal for a Decree-Law, approved by the Council of Ministers, on the first amendment to the Decree-Law on the statutes of the National Bank of Commerce of Timor-Leste, SA (BNCTL). The approved Decree-Law intends to adapt the BNCTL's statutes to the new legal framework of commercial companies and the new commercial registration regime, introducing a new corporate structure in accordance with international financial sector practices, dividing the Board of Directors between executive and non-executive directors with a clear separation of responsibilities and duties. In this way, competent and efficient executive management will be implemented by professional and experienced executive directors in the banking sector, maintaining the strategic vision of the Bank in the service of the superior interests of the Timorese People, by the non-executive Board of Directors.
Finally, the Council of Ministers approved the proposal for a Government Resolution, submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEC), to strengthen coordination and resources in the process of accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Considering that the development of good neighborly relations and cooperation with the countries of the region is a value enshrined in the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and a priority since the first Constitutional Government, accession to ASEAN is an important instrument for raising the prestige of Timor-Leste as a state engaged in constructive political dialogue to ensure peace, stability and security in the region, as well as for the economic and socio-cultural development of the country. The MNEC will be responsible for nominating national reference individuals and for liaising with relevant government institutions, participating in High-Level meetings on ASEAN and setting up a mobilization program for Timor-Leste's membership. ENDS
12 of February of 2019Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 12, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 12, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and reviewed the presentation on the cooperation program between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on strategic thinking for the future and for development planning. The purpose of the presentation was to support the Cabinet, Directors, and other agents of the State for future thinking, in order to create intervention strategies not only focused on current problems and challenges but based on the strategic vision of what is intended to be achieved for the country in the future. Thinking strategies in the development of a vision of the future are intended to help better understand the processes of change and to create deeper and more accurate changes for the future. This way, the identification and definition of investment priorities will help lay the foundations for a more prosperous and sustainable country. The presentation included speeches by Paolo Spantigati, ADB Director in Timor-Leste, and Susann Roth and Mei-Mei Song consultants of the ADB. After the presentations, a period of discussion followed, in which members of the Government together with the ADB technical team discussed the application of this methodology in Timor-Leste. ENDS- 07 of February of 2019Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 7, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 7, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the proposal presented by the Acting Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites, regarding the final ceiling for the temporary budget appropriations for the month of February 2019, totaling US $ 94,617,778 (including repayment of loans). ENDS - 04 of February of 2019National holidays in 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
National holidays in 2019
The public holidays with a fixed date and variable date for 2019, determined by the Law n.10/2005 of 10th of August, are:
a) 1st of January – New Year’s Day (fixed date public holiday)
b) 3rd of March – Veterans Day (fixed date public holiday)
c) 19th of April – Holy Friday (variable date public holiday)
d) 1st of May – World Labour Day (fixed date public holiday)
e) 20th of May – Restoration of Independence Day (fixed date public holiday);
f) 6th of June – Idul Fitri (variable date public holiday);
g) 20th of June – Corpus Christi (variable date public holiday);
h) 11th of August – Idul Adha (variable date public holiday);
j) 30th of August – Popular Consultation Day (fixed date public holiday);
j) 1st of November – All Saints Day (fixed date public holiday);
k) 2nd of November – All Souls Day (fixed date public holiday);
l) 12th of November –National Youth Day (fixed date public holiday);
m) 28th of November – Proclamation of Independence Day (fixed date public holiday);
n) 7th of December – Memorial Day (fixed date public holiday);
o) 8th of December – Day of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and Timor-Leste Patroness (fixed date public holiday);
p) 25th of December – Christmas Day (fixed date public holiday).
q) 31st of December – National Heroes Day (fixed date public holiday).
The Law n. 10/2005, of 10th of August, determines national public holidays, official commemorative dates and the granting of days-off, and has been amended by Law n. 3/2016, of 25th of May, to recognise key historical dates of the Timorese Struggle for National Liberation. ENDS
