Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 5th, 2021
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 5th, 2021
The Council of Ministers met in the Ministry of Finance Auditorium, in Dili and approved the Government's Resolution project relative to the exoneration of the current President of the Board of Directors of Radio and Television of Timor-Leste, E.P (RTTL, EP) and the appointment of the new President of the Board of Directors of RTTL, EP, José António Belo, for a period of four years, under proposal of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo.
The Council of Ministers decided to give full powers to the Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes, to sign a financial contribution agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the United States of America, represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This agreement establishes a financial contribution to be made by the United States of America to Timor-Leste in the amount of US $17,900,000.00 (seventeen million nine hundred thousand American dollars), to strengthen the non-oil sector and reinforce good governance. It is also envisaged that this contribution may be complemented, depending on the donor's budgetary capacity, by additional contributions up to the estimated total amount of US $92,300,000.00 (ninety-two million, three hundred thousand US dollars). These additional contributions, if they occur, should in the future be the subject of their own financial contribution agreements.
Upon the proposal of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Joaquim Amaral, the Council of Ministers decided to maintain the provision of US $50,000,000.00 (fifty million American dollars), destined for the State's contribution within the scope of the Special Investment Agreement signed with TL Cement, Lda, for an additional period of 9 months, until December 31st, 2021.
The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Decree for the first amendment to Government Decree No. 14/2021 of April 29th, on the measures of implementation of the declaration of the state of emergency made by the Presidential Decree No. 24/2021 of April 28th.
With this amendment, all individuals in the national territory who are subjected to mass or random testing operations, according to the criteria defined by the health authorities, are obliged to undergo medical examination for the diagnosis of COVID-19 or infection by SARS-CoV-2. Individuals who refuse to undergo the compulsory diagnostic medical examination, without prejudice to criminal liability, will be subject to compulsory prophylactic isolation, in a health establishment, residence or in an isolation centre established for that purpose by the State. In such cases the costs related to prophylactic isolation shall always be borne by the individual himself or herself.
The entry into the national territory, by national or foreign citizens, is now subject to a prior authorisation request.
Lastly, the draft Government Resolution for the first amendment to Government Resolution No. 45/2021 of April 29th, which reinstated the general home confinement of the population of the Dili municipality, was approved. With this Government Resolution, citizens residing in Dili will now be allowed, exceptionally, to be absent from their respective residence or place of accommodation, including shelters, in the municipality of Dili, to apply in person for access to socio-economic support measures foreseen in Law no. 8/2021, of May 3rd. END
