Media Releases
04 of September of 2020Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 4, 2020Presidência do Conselho de Ministrosmore
VIII Governo Constitucional
.............................................................................................................................
Comunicado de Imprensa
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 4, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Draft Government Decree, presented by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, on the measures for implementing the state of emergency declaration, made by the President of the Republic Decree N.º 55/2020, of August 5th, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of emergency covers the entire national territory and will be in force between 00:00 September 5th, 2020 and 23:59 October 4th, 2020.
This Government Decree determines that all individuals who intend to enter or leave the national territory are subject to mandatory health check. All individuals who intend to enter the country are also subject to mandatory preventive isolation (quarantine) with a minimum duration of fourteen days. This period does not apply to the aircraft crews who provide international transport of passenger or goods and drivers of heavy goods vehicles for international land transportation.
It is forbidden to board in buses, ships or aircrafts, to all individuals who have any of the following symptoms: body temperature higher than 37,50 C; cough; sore throat; cold; and respiratory distress or shortness of breath, except in case of medical evacuation.
The Government Decree requires the COVID-19 testing to anyone who enters the national territory and presents any of the symptoms listed in the previous paragraph. If they are diagnosed with COVID-19, they are obliged to undergo therapeutic isolation.
Individuals who are infected with SARS-CoV-2, who enter in to national territory from overseas or who are under the supervision of health authorities, will remain in compulsory confinement in health establishment, in their own residence or in state isolation centres, for 14 days, or until medical discharge.
The period referred in the preceding paragraph does not apply to aircraft crews who ensure the international transport of passengers or goods and drivers of heavy goods vehicles for international land transportation, whom are subject to mandatory confinement period coinciding with the time their stay in national territory, discounting the vehicles operation time. The rules of entry and mandatory confinement for these citizens are approved by ministerial diploma from the Minister of Health.
In exceptional cases, justified by reasons of health and safety of the population, the Minister of Interior may order the border posts temporary closure or the reduction of opening hours to the public.
During the term of the state of emergency, all licenses, authorizations and other administrative acts and documents remain valid, regardless of their expiration date.
The enforcement of the present diploma ruling supervision is the responsibility of the security forces and services and of the epidemiological and health surveillance teams, and is therefore prohibited any act of active or passive resistance to the orders issued by the competent public authorities in the implementation of the state of emergency’s declaration. END
- 02 of September of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 2, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 2, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Deliberation draft, presented by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mrs Sara Lobo Brites, regarding to the final ceiling for the temporary budget allocation for September 2020, which value was set at USD 119.6 million (including the payment of loans).
The Government approved the Deliberation draft, also presented by the Deputy Minister of Finance, on the 2021 General State Budget aggregate and disaggregate ceilings, with an aggregate ceiling total amount of $ 1.6 billion to cover the program and national priorities needs, defined by the VIII Constitutional Government, namely in terms of social capital development, economic development, in line with the measures included in the Economic Recovery Plan, the development of basic fundamental infrastructures, environmental development, institutional development and ongoing institutional reform processes.
The Council of Ministers approved the Deliberation draft, presented by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, on accession to the Scalling Up Nutrition "Sun Movement". This “movement” was created in September 2010, by government entities, agencies and groups, founded on the principle that everyone has the right to food and adequate nutrition. Currently, it has sixty-one member countries, looking to work together to find truly transformative methods and solve the nutrition problems in their countries. Timor-Leste’s accession to the SUN Movement may contribute to improve the country's visibility, allowing to share the challenges related to malnutrition in Timor-Leste and learning from successful cases in improving nutrition, as well as joining a network agencies, institutions and donors, making a decisive contribution to improve the health and well-being of the population in Timor-Leste.
The Minister of Justice, Manuel Cárceres da Costa, presented to the Council of Ministers the political legislative options related to the draft Law Proposal for the Organization and Functioning of Courts, the draft Law Proposal for the Legal Regime for Professional Public Associations, the draft Law Proposal that creates the Bar Association and the draft Law Proposal of the New Statute of the Public Ministry.
The Law Proposal for the Organization and Functioning of Courts intends to create legal conditions for the full implementation of the Constitution, regarding the higher courts organization and functioning and the administrative and fiscal jurisdiction, and it also aims to consolidate the legislation dispersed in various legal diplomas, allowing a joint view of the country's judicial organization.
The Legal Regime for Professional Public Associations aims to ensure that the solutions approved for each of the regulated professions are consistent with each other, that they obey certain structural principles, that the same legal solutions are not multiplied in different diplomas, that the normative framework is established given the creation of the Bar Association, but also the future creation of other professional orders or chambers and, finally, that the confidence in the technical and ethical quality of the professionals of Timor-Leste will be reinforced, in respect for the Constitution and national sovereignty.
The creation of the Bar Association aims to stimulate the lawyer activity regulation and the exercise of disciplinary action, to supervise the training contents for the professional internship courses towards the specific needs that the class identifies, to provide Timor-Leste with a similar institution to its counterparts in all other CPLP countries and to reinforce confidence in the technical and ethical quality of Timor-Leste lawyers, in respect for the Constitution and national sovereignty.
With a new Statute of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, it is intended to reinforce the autonomy and independence of this magistracy, more fully describing various aspects that govern their career, adapting the services of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the present, allowing their specialization in certain types of crime or certain areas of action, and its decentralization and expanding the access to the top of the career, according to professional merit criteria.
The Council of Minister approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of Transports and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva, regarding the appointment of the Board of Director of Aeroportos e Navegação Aérea de Timor-Leste, EP (ANATL) members, for the period from 2020 to 2024. José Trindade da Cruz Pinto was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the public company responsible for the management and administration of the public airport and air navigation service to support civil aviation in Timor-Leste. Lurdes Gomes and Eusébio da Costa Lopes were appointed for the positions of members of the ANATL Board of Directors, on the proposal of the Ministry of Transports and Communications, Veríssimo Nai Sai, on the proposal of the Ministry of Finance and José de Oliveira Leong, on the proposal of workers.
The draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of Transports and Communications, on the appointment of the Board of Directors of the Civil Aviation Authority of Timor-Leste (AACTL) members for the period from 2020 to 2024, and the dismissal of previous Board of Directors members, was also approved.
Eusébio Freitas has been appointed as Chairman of the organisation Administrative Board, whose mission is to ensure the safety of the air transport system. For the position of AACTL Board of Directors members, have been appointed Domingos Savio de Jesus Sarmento, on a proposal from the Ministry of Transports and Communications and Geovanio M.R. Hei Henriques, on a proposal of the Ministry of Finance.
The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Joaquim Amaral, presented, to the Council of Ministers, the political-legislative options to regulate the implementation of the Support Measures for the Resumption and Maintenance of Activity and Support to local families and producers (“basic food basket”) under the Economic Recovery Plan, already set out in the Government Resolution no. 28/2020, of 19th August, which approved the Short-Term Measures for Mitigating the Impacts of the Economic Crisis caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, under the Economic Recovery Plan.
The Council of Ministers attended a presentation by the Board of Directors of the National Commercial Bank of Timor-Leste (BNCTL), regarding a proposal for capitalisation through government funding, for the period from 2020 to 2022. This capitalisation aims to be a lever for a significant increase in the credits granting until 2022, to support the modernisation of the bank's infrastructure and to raise the human resources’ capabilities, in order to increase the number of clients, improve the services provided quality and to be the main commercial bank in the country. BNCTL officials also point to a 50% return from the amount injected by the State. BNCTL representatives also presented a comparative analysis with other private banks, the deposit and credit growth, from 2011 to the present date, and the strategic plan up to 2022. BNCTL is a public limited company with exclusively public capital, which has the State as sole shareholder and its purpose is to provide banking and financial services to reducing poverty and aiding the development of economic activities throughout the national territory, providing access to financial services to the population and to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises both in urban and rural areas.
Lastly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mrs Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the current situation of Timor-Leste’s accession process to ASEAN. This presentation is part of the preparation for the second round of meetings with the ASEAN Fact-finding Mission, which is scheduled to take place between 8th and 10th September, by videoconference. The main goals achieved since the formal submission of the application for ASEAN membership in 2011, national strategy for the membership process and recent key achievements were also presented. END - 01 of September of 2020New Anti-Corruption LawPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
September 1, 2020
Press Release
New Anti-Corruption Law
After the National Parliament approval and the President of Republic promulgation, the Law 7/2020, which defines the new measures to prevent and combat corruption was published, on August 26th, and will come into force 180 days after the publication.
The new Law establishes the necessary mechanisms for an effective fight against the corruption, in order to meet the Constitution fundamental principles, such as the universality of rights, equality and legality.
This Law describes the general measures to prevent corruption and the income, assets and interests declaring regime. The corruption crimes, the applicable penalties and the special means of obtaining and retaining evidence are also defined.
This Law also changes other pieces of legislation related to preventing and combating corruption, namely the Penal Code, highlighting the creation of the new categories of illegal acts and the concentration of all corruption crimes in a single legal diploma.
As regard to the public sector, the Law 7/2020 provides guidelines that emphasize the need to observe appropriate procedures for the selection and training of people for public office, the turnover of these people in these positions and, finally, the need of implementing regular training program for them. The law also proposed a set of rules to be developed in guiding and regulating the conduct of public officials, in order to promote the personal behaviour standards of integrity, honesty, responsibility and impartiality.
In order to facilitate the communication of corruption acts, it is foreseen that police and judicial authorities may accept anonymous complaints, the identity of whistle-blowers protection and protection against reprisals.
This law also emphasizes the promotion of publicity and transparency in procurement and public procurement procedures. It is also stressed the need for procurement procedures for goods and services acquisition to be carried out based on economic criteria and based on the principle of optimizing the cost and benefit relationship. Further, in addition to facilitate the public access to the competent authorities, it is expected that the administrative procedures may be simplified, thereby mitigating corruption opportunities.
Another innovation implemented through the Law in question concerns the obligation for all individuals in public service and their household members to declare income, assets and interests, thus enabling the State to discover and prevent conflicts of interest and monitor more efficiently the wealth variations, in order to identify significant and unjustified increases in the declarants wealth. These statements may be completed in an electronic form, to be prepared and provided by the relevant authorities.
It is also defined that public institutions disclose their activity, operation and decision-making processes to the public, through regular publication of activity reports and their broad dissemination through electronic media.
This Law also recognises the existence of more appropriate mechanisms to control corruption, such as the accountability of legal persons. Thus, commercial companies that engage in illegal practices such as bribery, influence peddling or other practices that result in the removal of competitors in procurement procedures or money laundering, for example, will be held criminally liable.
This law also forbids public official, in two years period after the end of his term, to exercise any activity in private sector, whenever the service to be rendered or the employment is directly related with the roles performed by him or under his supervision when he was in office holding a public position.
Law 7/2020 defines as corruption crimes committed while exercising public roles, passive corruption of public official for illegal act, passive corruption of public official for legal act, active corruption of public official, embezzlement, embezzlement of public property, violation of the participation right and equal candidacy in procurement, sale or concession tenders, abuse of power, profiting from economic interest in business and conflict of interest.
Whoever is definitively convicted of a crime enshrined in this Law, punishable by imprisonment for more than five years, is prohibited from taking or being in public offices for a period of 5 to 10 years.
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Government Spokesman, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, expressed that “through the enactment and entry into force of this important Law, we mark a fundamental stage of our national cause to fight corruption. However, the determining factor of this effort goes beyond the enactment, which will be the institutional and social preparations to rigorously implement the Law, always maintaining the momentum and the political will to fulfil the purposes of this Law”. END
28 of August of 2020Day-off on the occasion of the 21st Anniversary Celebrations of the Popular ConsultationPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
August 28, 2020
Press Release
Day-off on the occasion of the 21st Anniversary Celebrations of the Popular Consultation
To celebrate the 30th of August, the Popular Consultation Day, which this year is celebrated on a Sunday, the Government decided to grant a day-off on Monday, August, 31st, for all employees and agents of the Ministries and their dependent services, as well as the institutes and bodies integrated in the State indirect administration, to allow their participation in the celebrations and their return to work.
This decision is based on Law no. 10/2005, of August 10th, which determines national holidays, official commemorative dates and the rules for day-off.
The Government urges the population on the celebration of this date, so important in our collective history, as People and Nation, in family and with its community, honouring the courage and resilience of our People, who expressed their will to independence of our Nation, with determination. END
- 26 of August of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 26, 2020Approvedmore
1 - Ministry of Planning and Territory Organic Law;
2 - first amendment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Organic Law;
3 - Law Proposal draft on the 2020 General State Budget;
4 - Extension of the state of emergency statement;
5 - National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) Disciplinary Regulation.
Analyzed
1 - Political-legislative options underlying the draft of the National Development Agency (ADN). - 19 of August of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 19, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of August 19, 2020
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Decree-Law draft presented by the Minister of Justice, Manuel Cárceres da Costa, that has as its object the second amendment to the Ministry of Justice Organic Law. This amendment aims to reflect the widening of the powers of this Ministry, resulting from the new Government's structure, namely concerning the powers related to judicial reform, which are now concentrated in the Ministry of Justice, with the extinction of the Ministry of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs.
The Decree-Law draft, presented by the Minister of State Administration, Miguel Pereira de Carvalho, regarding the Statutes of Municipal Administrations, Municipal Authorities and the Interministerial Technical Group for administrative decentralization second amendment was approved.
The amendment partially reverses the process of administrative concentration regarding human resources, that had resulted from the Statutes first amendment and resolves legal and operational constraints in terms of the competences, organization and functioning of municipal services, as well as in the matter of appointing managers and leaders as substitutes. The same Decree-Law also includes changes related to the Municipal Consultative Councils, namely concerning their composition.
The Council of Ministers also approved two Government Resolution drafts, presented by the Minister of Public Works, Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires, related to the National Water Resources Management Policy and the National Water Supply Policy.
The National Water Resources Management Policy defines the Government responsibilities, intentions, objectives and strategies in managing the water resources. This document provides a general framework and an action line for the National Water Resources Management Policy until 2030. It is a guidance and information document, for public authorities, water resources managers and all entities involved in the preparation and implementation of legislation, regulation, policy, strategies, plans and actions for the water resources management in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
The National Water Supply Policy aims to establish the Government vision and objectives regarding the national and international commitments assumed to provide fair access to adequate, safe and sustainable water services, at an affordable cost for all citizens. This document contains the guiding line that will allow to translate the vision of universal access to a public water supply into strategies and plans, and the respective provision on its best implementation strategy, for benefit of Timor-Leste’ population, and a social and economic development of the country, in a sustainable way. END
- 18 of August of 2020Day-off on the Occasion of the Day of FALINTILPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
August 18, 2020
Press Release
Day-off on the Occasion of the Day of FALINTIL
Among the official commemorative dates, the law establishes the 20th of August as the official commemorative date for the Day of the National Liberation Forces of Timor-Leste (FALINTIL), which this year celebrates its 45th anniversary.
Under the Law No. 10/2005, of August 10th, amended by the Law No. 3/2016, of May 25th, the Government decides that:
Day-off is granted on August 20th, 2020, throughout the day, to all employees, agents and workers of the direct administration of the State, whether central or decentralized, and in the bodies of indirect administration;
The personnel of the public services that, due to the nature of the public activity carried out, should remain in operation during that day, are excluded from the previous paragraph;
Without prejudice to the continuity and quality of the public service to be provided, the senior managers of those services referred to in the preceding paragraph shall provide the equal exemption from the duty of attendance of their personnel, on a date to be established in due course. END
12 of August of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 12, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of August 12, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at, the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Government's Decree Draft, presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, regarding the rules on the electronic edition of Jornal da República.
This Government's Decree Draft states that the Jornal da República must be published in electronic format and that, until the National Press of Timor-Leste, IP (NPTL), responsible for the print edition, has the necessary resources for this purpose, it is up to the Ministry of Justice to ensure the management and maintenance of the website that houses the electronic edition of Jornal da República.
It is also defined that, on the day of the paper edition, NPTL must send the respective computer file to the Ministry of Justice, which, on the same day it receives the file, should make the Jornal da República available on the website.
It was approved the Decree-Law draft, presented by the Finance Minister, Fernando Hanjam, on the first amendment to Decree-Law No 17/2020, of 30 of April, which creates a salary supplement for employees, agents and public workers who provide the respective professional activity in the COVID-19 prevention or control services or in direct exposure conditions to the SARS-CoV2 virus, during state of emergency.
This amendment will also include within the scope of this remuneration supplement the staff who works in the Integrated Crisis Management Centre Situation Room, the National Intelligence Service staff, whose activity involves risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 prevention and control task force of the Municipalities Administrations.
The Minister of Finance, Fernando Hanjam, and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, presented the Decree Law draft, also approved by the Council of Ministers, which creates a subsidy for those who carried out journalistic activities in the Integrated Centre Crisis Management Situation Room, during the state of emergency, declared by the Decrees of the President of Republic, No. 29/2020, of March 27th, and no 32/2020, of April 27th, under conditions of direct exposure to the SARS-CoV2 virus. These professionals performed their functions in an exemplary manner, contributing decisively to the dissemination of credible information on the prevention and control of the disease in the national territory, mitigating the population’s fear and preventing generalized panic, functions which went beyond the simple professional duty, clearly serving a superior public interest in the rapid transmission of information.
The Council of Ministers approved the Decree Law draft, presented by the Minister of Public Works, Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires, regarding the first amendment to the Decree Law No. 8/2019, of April 24th, which approves the Ministry of Public of Works Organic Structure. This Decree Law draft makes the necessary amendments in order to accommodate the changes made to the 8th Constitutional Government organic structure.
The Council of Ministers also approved the Decree Law draft on the first amendment to the Decree Law No. 14/2019, of July 10th, which approves the Ministry of Interior Organic, presented by the Prime-Minister and the Minister of Interior, Taur Matan Ruak, and by the Vice Minister of Interior, António Armindo. This amendment aims to accommodate the changes made to the 8th Constitutional Government Organic, namely regarding to the position and powers of the Vice Minister of Interior.
The Council of Ministers approved the Economic Recovery Plan, which presents a set of measures for the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, divided into priority intervention areas and sectors, which are agriculture, tourism, housing, human capital (education, health and social protection) and institutional reform. The Plan was proposed by the Commission for the Preparation of the Economic Recovery Plan, which took office on June 18th, 2020, with the mission of recommending to the Council of Ministers the measures to be approved and the actions to be taken for the national economic recovery, defining clear investment priorities and ensuring the greatest possible consensus of society around the main areas of investment.
The Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the results of payments and monitoring of the monetary support allocated to households, under the COVID-19 pandemic. This measure aimed to respond to the harmful impacts on the livelihoods of low-income families across the country, caused by COVID-19. Altogether, more than 305 thousand households, from the 12 Municipalities and the Special Administrative Region of Oé-Cusse Ambeno (RAEOA), have already benefited from this support, amounting to more than 61 million American dollars. The Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion is now in the process of assessing complaints.
Lastly, the Council of Ministers, following the presentation of the Ministry of Finance regarding the final ceiling for the 2020 General State Budget, deliberated on the short-term economic stabilization measures to be allocated to the COVID-19 Fund and the implementing Ministry, and on the budget of RAEOA-ZEESM. The decision on the final budget ceiling will be decided at the Executive’s upcoming meeting. END
