Meeting of the Council of Ministers of May 8, 2019

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Eighth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers of May 8, 2019

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the proposed Decree-Law, presented by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Demetrio de Amaral de Carvalho, on the Legal Regime for the Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity. This Diploma aims to safeguard the vast biodiversity of Timor-Leste, which is positioned in one of the regions with the highest biodiversity in the world and which hosts a number of different species of fauna and flora. The Decree-Law establishes the legal framework for the protection and conservation of biodiversity, complementing the provisions of the National System of Protected Areas, and implementing the Environmental Law, in the part where the State is expressly responsible for adopting measures necessary for the protection and conservation of species, habitats and ecosystems. At the institutional level, the Decree-Law also promotes the integration of biodiversity considerations in the different sectoral policies, defines the responsibilities of each of the governmental actors and simultaneously demands the active participation of all sectors of society in the protection of biodiversity and sustainable use of components, in a participatory, collaborative and consultative framework.

The Secretary of State for the Environment also presented the proposed Decree-Law on the sale, import and production of plastic bags, packaging and other objects. This Diploma aims to prevent and reduce the impact of waste on the environment, focusing mainly on single-use plastic products. Accordingly, the Decree-Law prohibits the sale, import and production of non-recyclable plastic products and the prohibition of the acquisition, distribution, importation and production of certain plastic objects. The Diploma also establishes the following fundamental principles: precaution, prevention, sustainable development, global environmental security, polluter-pays, reuse and recycling and energy recovery. This proposal will be re-examined further by the Council of Ministers.

The Council of Ministers approved the proposal for a Resolution, presented by the Acting Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano, approving the procurement process for the implementation of the investment strategy for solid waste management in Dili. The solid waste management plan proposes the acquisition of model containers for modern and efficient waste disposal, waste collection vehicles, mobile equipment, scale and landfill equipment to improve the operational standard of the Tibar waste site. It also aims to improve the service of solid waste collection, with the change to a method of mechanical collection. Finally, the plan also aims at transforming the Tibar dump into a landfill that is controlled according to the integrated waste treatment strategy. The implementation plan for the management of solid urban waste in Díli presents as its main benefits the improvement of the quality of the urban environment, improving health, reducing the risk of flooding, high efficiency in the collection and management of waste through international practices, creation of employment opportunities and the possibility of tourism growth through effective environmental management and maintenance.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva, presented the proposal for a Resolution, approved by the Council of Ministers, appointing the members of the Board of Directors of the Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações, the telecommunications regulator. Thus, the Government appoints Fernando Afonso da Silva as Non-Executive Director and Vidal dos Santos Gomes as Technical Director, both for a term of five years.

The Minister of Transport and Communications also presented the proposal for a decision on the authorization of the process of supplying the construction of the passenger ship for the project of connecting maritime transport along the north coast of Timor-Leste. This project is co-financed by the German Financial Cooperation and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The Deliberation proposal was approved pending analysis and confirmation by the Ministry of Finance.

The Council of Ministers approved the proposal for a resolution presented by the Minister of Defense, Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus, regarding the names of the commanders of the F-FDTL components to be proposed to the President of the Republic, responsible for appointing the F-FDTL components.

The Council of Ministers approved the proposal for a resolution submitted by the National Procurement Commission on the authorization of the procurement process for the construction of the future building of the Dili District Court. The funding for the construction project for the Dili District Court is included in the State Budget for 2019 in the Infrastructure Fund. ENDS

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