Government of Timor-Leste

When the 9th Constitutional Government took office on July 1^st, 2023, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão pledged to carry out a series of initiatives and measures in the first 120 days to correct irregularities and begin implementing structural reforms essential to the country's sustainable development.

Xanana Gusmão also said that the 9th Constitutional Government's vision is to achieve "a nation in which society is prosperous and healthy, educated and qualified, innovative and dynamic, with generalised access to essential goods and services, and where production and employment in all productive sectors correspond to those of an emerging economy."

The first 120 days were marked by a comprehensive survey of the corrections needed in processes, systems and methodologies, including a review of the organisational structure of each ministry and the setting of objectives for the next five years.

Commitments

To respond to the expectations of the Timorese people and society, the 9th Government made a set of 18 commitments for its first 120 days in office, of which the most important is restoring democratic normality, with the approval of the Government's Programme for five years, the Organic Law of the Government, the organic laws of the various Government departments and the 2023 amending budget, and the start of the preparation of the General State Budget for 2024. The Council of Ministers approved proposed amendments to the Law that created the RAEOA and established the ZEESM and the Legal-Administrative Qualification of Ataúro Island. The restructuring of the oil and mineral resources sector also began with changes to the statutes of the entities in this sector and the appointment of new chairmanships. The reinstatement of 158 PNTL police officers, who had previously been compulsorily retired, was approved by the Council of Ministers. The National Intelligence Service has already begun restructuring, including appointing the new Director General and Vice Director General. With the approval of the 2023 amending budget, the excise duty on sugar was also removed, as was the increase in customs duties on imports, returning to the previous rate of 2.5 per cent. The National Institute of Pharmacy and Medical Products was created to manage pharmaceutical products and medical equipment, and a survey was carried out of the need for medicines in short supply, with a US$ 5.9 million contract signed for their urgent supply. The process of identifying the needs for improving the school meals programme began. The Government established the National Council for People with Disabilities. It carried out an audit of the National Rehabilitation Centre, which led to the dismissal of the institution's management and the appointment of new heads. All ongoing infrastructure projects and works were identified and assessed so that they could be corrected and restructured. Drains were cleaned, and streams were normalised in the city of Dili. The urgent intervention plan for rehabilitating and reconstructing infrastructure affected by the disasters of July 2^nd to 7^th, 2023, was approved. The Government set up several working teams to audit and legally analyse various public institutions and major projects of the previous government. Multiple initiatives and reforms were launched to contribute to the peace and security needed for national development, and awareness-raising and training activities were organised for PNTL agents to promote the values of integrity, professionalism and political and partisan impartiality.

Pursuing the Development of Social Capital

Concerning the development of social capital, particularly in education, among other initiatives, the 9th Government began restructuring the staffing in the education sector. Needs for improvements in school infrastructure were identified, and a curriculum review was carried out for the 3rd Cycle of Basic Education. An assessment was carried out to improve nutrition in schools, as well as an analysis of the Eskola iha Uma Programme. In higher education, the Coordinating Committee for Universities and Higher Education Institutes was set up, management mechanisms for higher education institutions were improved, and agreements were signed to develop human resources and a new Master's degree in Education. In health, in addition to creating the Institute mentioned above and purchasing medicines, a situational diagnosis was carried out on the main challenges in this sector. A new legal framework for medical assistance abroad was approved, and various activities were carried out to combat malnutrition. In terms of social protection, a social security agreement was signed with Portugal; the Bolsa da Mãe programme was readjusted, and activities were carried out to promote children's rights, improve the living conditions of people with disabilities and improve care for the elderly. The second 2009 veterans' data register was validated for all municipalities.

Further development of infrastructures

Regarding infrastructure development, in addition to the activities already mentioned relating to urgent infrastructure interventions and road maintenance, as well as the normalisation of rivers, progress has been made in the process of completing the construction and installation of the fibre optic cable and the reform of the electricity and water and sanitation sectors has begun. The Government is also reforming the planning system for this sector to integrate it with the establishment of the Planning and Monitoring Unit and the Inspection and Verification Unit. An agreement was signed for the community infrastructure for resilience project, which, as well as improving communities' access to essential services, will also promote job creation.

Continuing to develop the economy

Regarding economic development, in addition to the previously mentioned reform and institutional restructuring of the oil and mineral resources sector in agriculture, national surveys were carried out to identify the potential of irrigation systems and diagnose coffee-growing areas with a view to their expansion. In livestock, a memorandum of understanding was established to strengthen livestock control and promote sustainable livestock development. Significant investments were made in fisheries, including the distribution of boats and equipment. The Government also adopted measures to stabilise the price of rice by establishing agreements with importers and creating a security reserve of 30,000 tonnes of rice. Bilateral trade and economic agreements were signed with China and Indonesia, and substantial progress was made in the negotiations to join the World Trade Organisation. Mobility and overseas work programme agreements were also signed with Portugal and Brunei, as well as discussions on expanding the seasonal work programme with Australia. Timor-Leste took part in the China-ASEAN 2023 Expo, and events such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Fair and the Innovative Business Ideas Competition were organised in the country to promote innovation and employment. Cooperatives and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across the country were identified, and strategic plans were drawn up for their development. The Convention on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions was also signed to protect marine biodiversity.

Continuing Government Consolidation

As part of Government consolidation, implementing a comprehensive reform of public finance management has begun to increase revenue, transparency and efficiency in fiscal policy and financial management. This reform includes strengthening the fiscal strategy, mobilising resources, implementing programme-based budgeting, rationalising public spending and financial decentralisation. With the approval of the 2023 Amending State Budget, the Government eliminated the brutal tax increase approved by the previous government. The Integrated Planning Unit (UPI – Portuguese acronym) and the Strategic Investment Unit (UIE – Portuguese acronym) were set up to leverage and promote Timor-Leste's economic and social development in coordination with the relevant Government departments. The Government began a policy of reducing the number of public institutes created by the previous Government and carried out various institutional strengthening activities. The new heads of the Civil Service Commission and the new Governor of the Central Bank were also appointed.

Pursuing Good Governance and Fighting Corruption

Regarding good governance and the fight against corruption, among the various activities is the establishment of the Village (Suco) Administration Service to strengthen support for the Villages (Sucos) and enable allowances for community leaders. The Administrative Post Manpower and Hafoun Village Movement programmes are in the process of being restructured to improve the lives of communities. After identifying the national challenges, the development of the Strategic Plan for Municipalities began. A memorandum on administrative decentralisation was signed with Hunan, China, and various pieces of legislation are being prepared to support the local government process and the phased decentralisation of government. The One-Stop Shop, a part of administrative decentralisation, has begun to be implemented in municipal offices. Measures were approved for the management of solid urban waste. As already mentioned, the amendment to the legal-administrative qualification of the RAEOA was approved, and the amendments to the RAEOA and the ZEEMS were the subject of legal changes. A series of reforms were launched in the justice sector, with the drafting of a set of structuring laws, including the revision of the Ministry's organisational structure and the Prison Guard Statute, as well as the drafting of the Personal Data Protection Law Proposal. An International Working Group has been set up to coordinate analyses, propose policies, and address issues such as land ownership and disciplinary procedures. At the same time, a scholarship programme is being set up to compensate for the sector's lack of human resources. The constitution of the Bar Association is being evaluated, while measures have been adopted to regularise state properties. Continuous training for justice officials has continued, and recruitment for the private lawyers' course has occurred. Courses for public prosecutors and judicial magistrates are also underway, with practical internships planned in Portugal. The Government approved the procurement procedure for the urgent issuing of electronic passports, and the passbooks have already started arriving in the country. The "2023-2030 PNTL Strategy" was developed to guarantee improved internal security and national peace and stability. Timor-Leste participated in various international summits and forums at regional, ASEAN, G7+ and CPLP levels. Progress was made in the process of finalising the borders with Indonesia. During his first 120 days in office, East Timor was visited by several high-level foreign dignitaries.

During this period, between July 1^st and October 28^th, 2023, the Government has focused its efforts on establishing the foundations needed to build a more prosperous, healthy, educated, skilled, innovative and dynamic nation, with an emphasis on ensuring access to essential goods and services and boosting production and employment in all productive sectors.