Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 3rd, 2014
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
V Constitutional Government
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Díli, February 3rd, 2014
Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 3rd, 2014
The Government gathered, extraordinarily, last Monday, February 3rd, 2014, at the Council of Ministers meeting room, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved:
1. Government Resolution approving the granting of financial aid to Portugal as a result of the fires of 2013
In 2013, Portugal was buffeted by a high number of fires. The situation involved and undermined several fire brigades, and there was loss of life among fire fighters, and loss of equipment in various fire brigades. In this situation of unprecedented proportions, the Government decided to approve the donation of USD $ 500,000 (five hundred thousand U.S. dollars) to support the entities referred in strengthening its capacity in fighting fires.
2. Government Resolution approving the grant of Financial Assistance to Victims of Natural Disasters occurred in Indonesia
The bad weather that has been felt in central Indonesia, during this rainy season, has, according to local authorities, reported at least 18 dead and about 80,000 homeless.
The Indonesian authorities have made a huge effort to create centres of temporary shelter, distributing water, food and clothing to people who were evacuated from their homes.
With the aim of supporting the victims of these natural disasters, the Government decided to approve the donation of USD $ 500,000 (five hundred thousand U.S. dollars).
3. Government Resolution approving the grant of Financial Aid to Victims of the Ian Cyclone in Tonga
The Government approved the donation of USD $ 250,000 (two hundred fifty thousand U.S. dollars) to support the victims of the Ian Cyclone, who reached the archipelago of Tonga - a monarchy that is part of Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean.
This Category 5 cyclone, presented sustained winds of 287 kilometres per hour, and caused the lost of communications and power supply on the islands and some of the islands remain isolated.
4. Decree-Law establishing the Financial Information Unit
This diploma, which follows the approval of the Legal Regime Covering the Prevention and Combat against Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Law n. º 17/2011 of 28 December), regulates the Financial Information Unit (FIU) established in that law.
The FIU "is an administrative entity created within the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, responsible for analysing information related to suspicious transaction reports and other information relating to money laundering and financing of terrorism, and for disseminating this information to the authorities".
5. Government Resolution approving the constitution of the National Commission for the Implementation of Measures to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism
The National Commission for the Implementation of Measures to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (CNCBC) mission is to "coordinate the implementation of the recommendations and standards of the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF / GAFI)".
Since money laundering and financing of terrorism are phenomena of a transnational nature and relevance, the creation of CNCBC becomes essential to ensure compliance with international standards for these crimes, standards to which Timor-Leste adhered, and the Government is committed to develop and adapt national legislation to make it more effective to combat crimes linked to money laundering and financing of terrorism.
The Government considered the Recommendations of the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF / GAFI), recognized by more than 140 countries and jurisdictions and major international and regional organizations, and the integration of Timor-Leste in Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG).
The Council of Ministers also analysed:
1. Report of the Progress of the Mutual Assessment on Money Laundering
This semi-annual report submitted to the Council of Ministers by the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, responds to the recommendations made by the Asia Pacific Group Against Money Laundering (APG) to Timor-Leste on issues of money laundering and other related crimes. The document will be presented by Timor-Leste at the Annual Meeting of the APG, which will be held in Macau in July. Timor-Leste is a member of the APG since July 2008.
2. Report of the Temporary Commission of Management and Operation of SAMES
The Temporary Committee of Management and Operation of the Autonomous Service of Medicines and Health Equipment - SAMES E.P. submitted to the Government a detailed report on the possibilities of improvement of the institution.
This report was prepared after consultation with various relevant national and international institutions, and aims to empower the SAMES management structure with a strong, efficient and modern management, pointing options to enable the continued provision of medicines and hospital equipment in Timor-Leste. The document, was requested by the Government during the presentation at the meeting of the Council of Ministers, on July 9, 2013, of a report on the financial and human resources of SAMES E.P..
