Media Releases
- 05 of Outubro of 2022Government expresses its solidarity with IndonesiaThe Government of Timor-Leste presents its heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of the Republic of Indonesia for the incident that occurred in the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, Java Island, last Saturday night.more
- 05 of Outubro of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 5th, 2022Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 5th, 2022
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Defence, Filomeno Paixão de Jesus, for the first amendment to the Remuneratory Regime of FALINTIL- Timor-Leste Defence Forces (F-FDTL).
Given that through paragraph 2 of article 23 of Decree-Law no. 34/2021 of December 22nd, the State undertook, for 2023, to increase by 15% the basic remuneration of the F-FDTL military and taking into account the recent legislative amendments in supplements within the National Public Administration, this law aims to introduce amendments to both the remuneration structure and the existing supplements in the F-FDTL.
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The draft Decree-Law for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 5/2015 of January 22nd on the Status of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno (RAEOA), submitted by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak and the President of RAEOA Authority, Arsenio Paixão Bano, was approved.
This draft Decree-Law aims to realign the current organizational structure, as well as the competencies granted to the RAEOA bodies, to strengthen the Region’s relevance and instil greater flexibility in its management, as well as to promote administrative efficiency of the Region’s organic structure, allowing the Regional Public Administration to equip itself with more efficient methods to satisfy the basic needs of the regional population, to correct possible regional asymmetries.
To counteract the difficulty in transferring or seconding qualified personnel to the RAEOA, the present diploma also foresees the attribution of a remuneratory supplement to civil servants transferred or seconded by the necessity of service to the Region, in duly justified and authorized cases by the President of RAEOA Authority.
Also, to ensure greater clarity to the framework given to the ZEESM-TL and better systematize its normative provisions, a set of provisions was introduced regarding the Special Market Economy Zone of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and Ataúro.
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The Council of Ministers, following the drafts presented by the Minister of State Administration, Miguel Pereira de Carvalho, decided to authorize:
l The launch of a private treaty procurement procedure, for the award of a public contract regarding the construction of the Multipurpose Shelter in Dili.
The Dili Multipurpose Shelter is intended to temporarily house victims of serious accidents and catastrophes, as well as individuals or families affected by a programme, project, or scheme of territorial planning and/or urban reconversion, or a project of construction, rehabilitation, or expansion of public infrastructure, subject to the possibility of integrating spaces intended for commercial use and other uses of a collective nature.
The project includes a residential area with about 162 flats, commercial and cultural areas, a dining hall for approximately 300 persons, an auditorium, and a medical care centre.
l the procurement procedure, by international public tender, for the awarding of construction of the new Manatuto Municipal Administration building.
The building will have three floors, about 20 offices, and will allow approximately 200 people to work simultaneously. Construction is expected to be completed by May 2025.
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The draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, Longuinhos dos Santos, for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 13/2020, of April 15th, Human Capital Development Fund (FDCH) Regulation was approved.
This amendment aims to clarify and detail the nature of the payments made on account of scholarships and establish more concrete rules for defining the respective amounts, to ensure a legal basis for the public payments due under the various administrative procedures for awarding scholarships in Timor-Leste.
The rules for extraordinary meetings of the FDCH Board of Directors are also clarified.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Prime Minister, to establish the Technical Coordination Committee for the Preparation of the Second Voluntary National Review Report (VNR) on Progress in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The technical committee will be responsible for collecting data on national progress in the implementation of the SDGs, using a broad consultation and taking into account the results of the most recent Assessment of the State of Implementation of the National Strategic Plan 2011- 2030, completed in 2021, to assess the current situation and allow updating the results reported by Timor-Leste in 2019.
The coordination and technical and administrative assistance to the commission will be provided by the National Agency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (ANAPMA). The commission is also comprised of representatives from the Presidency of the Republic, the National Parliament, relevant Government departments and organizations, civil society, the private sector of the economy, the UNTL, and the RTTL. A representative of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste also participates, with observer status and without the right to vote.
The report and its results will be presented in 2023 to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York after approval by the Council of Ministers.
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The Council of Ministers decided to authorize two financing agreements between the Republic Democratic of Timor-Leste and the Asian Development Bank, for two loans, one of a regular nature in the amount of US$ 50 million, with a maturity period of 17 years, and another of a concessional nature in the amount of US$ 77 million, with a maturity period of 20 years, to finance the project of water supply to the west of Dili.
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The Council of Ministers also decided to authorize the procurement procedure, by international public tender, for the award of the contract for the construction of the Paediatric and Coronary Intensive Care Unit of the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV). This project was presented by the Health Minister, Odete maria Freitas Belo. The main objective of the construction of this new unit is to improve access and the quality of specialized care provided at the HNGV, with special attention to the internment of emergency cases and paediatric urgency. It will also improve the national response to sporadic and emerging outbreaks of dengue, cholera, or other outbreaks with major public health impacts, particularly among newborns, children, and adolescents.
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This was followed by a presentation by the acting Minister of Transport and Communications, Abel Pires da Silva, on the political-legislative options underlying the initiative to create regimes for scheduled and non-scheduled international air transport.
The presented options are intended to establish the standards and conditions for the exercise of air traffic rights under the respective bilateral and multilateral agreements.
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Lastly, the Vice-Primer Minister, José Maria dos reis, presented the political-legislative options underlying the project on the Strategic Planning Framework Law.
The options presented aim to regulate strategic planning as a basic function of the State and as a system of integrated long-, medium- and short-term economic and social planning.
It is intended to promote sustainable economic and social growth and development, to guide public activity and investment, to guide, in a general and indirect manner, the private and cooperative sectors, and to ensure public management by objectives and results according to criteria of efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness. END
- 29 of September of 2022Note of Condolence on the death of Bishop Hilton Deakin, a friend of Timor-LesteThe Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste has received with deep sadness the news of the passing away of Bishop Hilton Deakin, a fierce defender of human rights and the self-determination of the Timorese people.more
- 28 of September of 2022Vote of Condolence on Jape Kong Su’s DeathThe 8th Constitutional Government, in the meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 28th 2022, approved a vote of condolence for the passing away, last Monday, of Jape Kong Su, at the age of 97, in Australia.more
- 28 of September of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 28th, 2022Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 28th, 2022
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, regarding the Remuneration Supplement to public servants and agents of the Public Administration who perform training functions in the Public Administration. This draft Decree-Law had already been subject to deliberation at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 27th 2022, however, due to the introduction of some changes in the final drafting stage, it became necessary to submit it to a new deliberation.
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Two draft Decree-Laws, presented by the Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo, on the exercise of Healthcare professions and the careers of healthcare professionals, were also approved.
The first draft Decree-Law aims to proceed with the third amendment to Decree-Law No. 14/2004, of September 1st, as amended by Decree Laws No. 40/2011, of September 21st, and No. 4/2019, of March 13th, on the Exercise of Healthcare Professions. This amendment aims to increase the requirements for obtaining a professional license, improve the qualifications of health professionals, improve the quality of the healthcare provided, and increase confidence in those professionals' technical and ethical quality.
The second draft Decree-Law concerns the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 13/2012, of March 7th, on Healthcare Professionals Careers. The aim is to dignify and value healthcare professionals through a career marked by rigorous stages of general and specialized postgraduate training, but also subject to institutional recognition, through legal mechanisms that allow fair and equitable progression and promotion.
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Also approved was the draft Government Resolution, referring to the National Action Plan against Gender-Based Violence 2022-2032 (PAN-VBG 2022-2032), presented by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, and the Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion, Maria do Rosário Fátima Correia.
The PAN-VBG 2022-2032 was developed based on an evaluation process of the current plan and an extensive consultation at the national and municipal levels with ministerial lines, national institutions, service providers, civil society organizations and development partners. The plan sets out three strategic pillars or priority areas: violence prevention, provision of essential services to victims of violence, and legal support and access to justice.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law project, presented by the Vice Prime-Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 37/2022, of May 25th, regarding the end-of-year allowance for each family.
With this legislative intervention, adjustments are being made to the text of the aforementioned Decree-Law, in an attempt to avoid possible doubts regarding the universe of possible beneficiaries of this social support, to reaffirm the meaning of the decision to award this allowance to all families with a valid registration made until February 28th, 2022, regardless of whether they are in a vulnerable situation or not, or regardless of whether any of their members work in the public administration.
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The Minister of Public Works, Abel Pires da Silva and the President of the Board of Directors of Bee Timor-Leste, E. P. (BTL, E.P.), Carlos Peloi dos Reis, gave a presentation on the implementation of the agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) on water, sanitation and drainage.
This component, which is part of the cooperation agreement signed with MCC on July 19th, 2022, aims to reduce the contamination of drinking water and groundwater, which is responsible for causing diseases and hindering the well-being and health of children and adults.
The project comprises the construction of a chemical disinfectant production plant for the city's water supply system, the construction of the country's first central wastewater system, and the improvement of the drainage network for the capital Dili and four neighbouring municipalities. Under this programme, policy and institutional reforms as well as social and behavioural changes will also be undertaken to improve the sanitation system and water management at the household level.
The water, sanitation and drainage component, besides its direct impact on citizens' health, will also act to reduce the risk of flooding, which has affected Timor-Leste so much in recent years, avoiding its environmental and socio-economic impacts, by ensuring sustainable management of water and sanitation.
The water treatment activity is projected to benefit 429,000 people in Dili municipality and 64,000 outside Dili. The sanitation project will benefit more than 106,000 Dili residents and according to the master plan is expected to benefit more than 300,000 people in the capital by 2036.
The water, sanitation and drainage component will have a total investment of US$ 372.2 million. The water treatment activities will cost US$ 8.3 million, the sanitation system will use US$ 342.8 million, and the drainage system will cost US$ 8.9 million. Also included in this project are about US$ 7 million for institutional strengthening and regulatory reform and US$ 5.2 million for social and behavioural change campaigns.
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The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak and the Deputy Regional Secretary to the President of the Oe-Cusse Ambeno Special Administrative Region Authority (RAEOA- Acronym in Portuguese), Leonia da Costa Monteiro, presented to the Council of Ministers the political-legislative options underlying the initiative to amend the Statute of the Oe-Cusse Ambeno Special Administrative Region.
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The Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, José Lucas do Carmo da Silva, presented the political-legislative options underlying the initiative to create a general regime of rules of origin.
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Lastly, the Council of Ministers approved a vote of condolence for the death of Jape Kong Su, a Timorese businessman who passed away yesterday, September 27th, in Australia, at the age of 97. END
- 21 of September of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 21st, 2022Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 21st, 2022
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Decree-Law which aims to establish the Legal Framework for the Public-Private Partnership for Diagnostic Services, presented by the Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes and the Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo. This draft Decree-Law had already been subject to deliberation at the Council of Ministers meeting on July 27th, 2022, however, due to some amendments introduced in the final drafting phase, it became necessary to submit it to a new deliberation.
The draft Decree-Law, presented by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Joaquim Amaral, for the first amendment to Decree-Law No. 34/2017, of September 27th, on the exercise and licensing of economic activities, was approved.
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With this amendment, there will no longer be a distinction based on the activity risk, giving way to the approval of a common framework for the classification of economic activities, called the Timor-Leste Economic Activities Classification and abbreviated to CAE.
The Government also intends to put an end to the authorisation-type regime currently in force, whose bureaucratic procedures are unnecessary, to guarantee a greater efficiency of the services and true freedom of initiative and business management of the private sector and the cooperative and social sector, as enshrined in Article 138 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
It is proposed to make the licensing process more predictable, transparent and simple, by consolidating the reform of the licensing of economic activities, which started five years ago, clarifying procedures, shortening timeframes and reducing the burden of opening businesses in the country.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Julião da Silva, for the approval of the cooperation agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Portuguese Republic on internal security.
The agreement, signed by both countries on September 27th, 2011, has as its objective the mutual provision of technical cooperation and exchange, through professional training actions and advisory services in the area of internal security.
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The draft Government Resolution, presented by the Vice Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, António Guterres and the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, Abrão Saldanha, on promoting physical activity in public establishments was approved.
To promote physical activity and raise awareness of the population about the importance of physical activity in health and implementation of intersectoral and multidisciplinary policies aimed at reducing sedentary lifestyles, the Government establishes the promotion of physical activity in public administration bodies and services, dedicating a period during the week for the practice of physical activity in its various aspects and modalities.
All public administration bodies and services under the dependence of the Government shall promote the practice of physical activity by the employees who are part of those bodies and services, establishing an appropriate time, not exceeding one hour, on Fridays, between 4:30 pm. and 5:30 pm. This period may be reduced or waived whenever justified by reasons of public interest, namely to ensure the regular functioning of the public administration bodies and services.
The Government also appeals to civil society organizations and private sector companies to join and promote the practice of physical activity by their collaborators and workers for at least 1 hour per week.
This physical activity should not occur on the last Friday of each month, to ensure the organization and implementation of collective actions of general cleaning of the urban areas existing in the national territory, as previously planned.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo, on the establishment of the National Institute of Public Health of Timor-Leste (INSP-TL).
It is intended with the establishment of the INSP-TL to aggregate in a single institute the attributions of monitoring, evaluation and analysis of the general health status, collaboration in the epidemiological and health surveillance, scientific research, control of risks and threats to public health, development and training of human resources, research and technological incorporation in public health, as well as quality control in certain health areas.
Within the scope of these attributions, in cooperation/networking with similar institutes in other countries, it is intended to create an organization with a strong scientific base that provides leadership and experience to the efforts made at the national level to achieve substantial and long-term improvements for public health and establishes itself as a reliable source of advice for policy formulation and decision making by policymakers.
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The Council of Ministers decided to authorize the Minister of Finance to start negotiating with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Australia, on the specific conditions of a loan for the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport development project.
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The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Joaquim Amaral, gave a presentation on the World Trade Organization's agreement on information technology (Information Technology Agreement - ITA) and the status of Timor-Leste's accession process to the WTO. The ITA is a multilateral agreement within the scope of the WTO to reduce to zero all taxes and tariffs on information technology products by the signatories.
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Lastly, the Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes, informed the Council of Ministers that the construction of the Port of Tibar Bay has already reached 92% and that it will start operations on September 30th, thus, from October 1st, the Port of Dili will no longer receive container vessels, transferring this service to the Port of Tibar Bay. The Port of Dili will continue to receive passenger ferries and cruise ships. The official launch of the Port of Tibar Bay will take place on November 30th, to coincide with the celebrations of Timor-Leste's Independence Day. END - 14 of September of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 14th, 2022Approvedmore
1 - procurement procedures for international public tenders and the implementation of expenditure for public works concerning the rehabilitation of roads;
2 - proceedings concerning the rehabilitation of the roads; and
3 - Draft of the 2023 General State Budget Law
Analysed
1 - state of play of Timor-Leste's accession process to the ASEAN; and
2 renewable energy implementation project. - 09 of September of 2022Timor-Leste mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth IIThe Government of Timor-Leste was saddened to receive the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this Thursday, September 8th, 2022, at the Balmoral Castle, Scotland, at the age of 96 years.more
Elizabeth II, born on April 21st, 1926, in London, died a few months after celebrating her 70th jubilee of reign, the longest in British history and one of the longest in the world. Charles, her eldest son, succeeded her on the throne and adopted the title of Charles III.
