Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 13, 2019
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
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
