Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 11th, 2023
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 11th, 2023
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft National Parliament Resolution, presented by the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, to ratify the agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the International Atomic Energy Agency on the application of safeguards under the Non-Proliferation Agreement, as well as its additional protocol.
Given the need to ensure compliance with the international obligations assumed by Timor-Leste, as well as to continue to contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the total elimination in the region and the world.
Given that Timor-Leste has already ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and those treaties establish the obligation to enter into a generalised safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Also of note is Timor-Leste’s intention to join the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone as part of the ASEAN accession process, which also requires its members to sign a generalised safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Finally, it should be noted that Timor-Leste already signed a generalised safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency on October 6th, 2009.
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Also at the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs proposal, the Council of Ministers decided to approve the signing of the agreements between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the countries belonging to ASEAN for visa exemption for tourism purposes.
These agreements, to be signed with each of the ASEAN member states, will allow citizens of Timor-Leste and these countries, when travelling to the territory of the other signatory state, to benefit from visa exemption for a maximum of 30 days for tourist purposes.
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The Council of Ministers analysed the presentation and timetable of the BEST Project. It endorsed the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, to initiate the procurement procedure for the implementation of the project's first phase, which covers the building and rehabilitation of ten schools, as well as supervision activities and the preparation of technical drawings for the next stage.
The BEST Project, in line with Timor-Leste’s Education Sector Plan 2020-2024 (ESP) and the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP 2011-2023), aims to improve access to quality primary education for all, the efficiency of primary education according to 21st century standards and support the implementation of municipality development strategies. The project results from a World Bank and Timor-Leste partnership, following the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2020-2024.
The project, to be implemented by 2025, will have a total cost of US$ 23.55 million, of which US$ 15 million will be financed through a loan from the World Bank - International Development Association (IDA) and US$ 9.1 million will be subsidised by the Global Partnerships for Education (GPE).
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This was followed by three presentations by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, for a preliminary analysis of the draft Decree Laws on the initiatives to create the Atauro Administrative Authority, to amend the regulations for the Atauro Special Development Fund (FEDA) and to amend the Statute for Municipal Administrations, Municipal Authorities, and the Interministerial Technical Group for Administrative Decentralization.
l With the initiative to establish the Atauro Administrative Authority, the Government intends to take up the idea of establishing an administrative body on Atauro Island responsible for administrative and infrastructural issues and, at the same time, a Special Social Market Economy Zone, responsible for boosting Atauro’s economic activity and, thus, making full use of the region’s economic potential.
l The initiative to amend the FEDA regulations is intended to implement a necessary and urgent reform in the management and operation of the FEDA, particularly regarding the competences of the respective bodies, the composition of the Board of Directors, the appointment of secretariat managers and the clarification of expenditure eligible for payment from the fund’s budget.
l With the initiative to amend the Statute of Municipal Administrations, Municipal Authorities and the Interministerial Technical Group for Administrative Decentralization, the Government intends to continue implementing the policy of administrative decentralisation and local power, namely through the establishment of Municipal Authorities as public legal persons integrated into the indirect administration of the State, whose bodies will be vested with greater autonomy, not only with a view to a faster and more effective response to the demand for public goods and services at local level, but also for the definition and implementation of a municipal development strategy that relies on the participation and commitment of all citizens.
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The Council of Ministers decided to transfer responsibility for coordinating the National Council for Sovereignty, Food Security and Nutrition in Timor-Leste (CONSSANTIL) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock to the Vice-Prime-Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of the Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino. This decision takes into account the competences attributed to the Vice-Prime-Minister by the Organic Law of the 9th Constitutional Government regarding coordinating the preparation, execution and control of the policies defined by the Council of Ministers in the social areas, namely in the fight to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition.
CONSSANTIL is the interministerial body responsible for coordinating the drafting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public policies related to food and nutrition security and sovereignty. CONSSANTIL’s main objectives are to ensure the implementation of the National Strategic Development Plan and the Government’s Programmes in this area, to develop and promote coordination mechanisms and to strengthen the capacity of public institutions and existing resources to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition and to implement food security and nutrition plans.
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Lastly, the Council of Ministers decided to authorise the opening of a procurement procedure for building an irrigation system in Maliana. END
