Media Releases
- 26 of April of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 26th, 2022Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 26th, 2022
The Council of Ministers met at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili, and approved the draft Law Proposal, presented by the Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes, for the first amendment to Law no. 1/2022, of January 3rd, the 2022 State Budget Law, for the second amendment to Law no. 8/2008, of June 30th, the Tax Law, and the establishment of the National Liberation Combatants Fund.
Given the international economic situation and the substantial increase in the inflation rate, it has become necessary to implement measures to mitigate its economic impact, providing the necessary budgetary allocations to fund this set of measures, of which the most important are:
Allocation of a thirteenth-month payment for each family (except civil servants);
2. Uma Kbiit Laek Plus Project;
Scholarship for the best students in primary and secondary education;
Establishment of the Veterans Fund
Administrative Post manpower program;
Construction of the Martial Arts and Ritual Arts Headquarters;
Home-schooling program (eskola iha uma);
Free Internet in schools;
Employment for the best university students;
Establishment of the Secretariat of State for the Affairs of Workers Abroad and the Timorese Community in Diaspora;
Revitalization of coffee plantations and subsidy for Lakuten coffee;
Housing allowance for PNTL and F-FDTL;
Payment of the PNTL remuneration difference, with the new salary regime, for a total of 4,096 beneficiaries.
These measures will have a total amount of 1,129,857,250 US dollars.
Thus, to finance these measures, there will be an increase in the allocation for the title Allocations for the Whole of Government, compensated by an increase in the transfer from the Petroleum Fund.
The Excise Tax rates for various unhealthy or luxury products are also changed, which will help to offset the increase in expenditure and eventually to reduce the amount of the transfer from the Petroleum Fund.
This Law Proposal also establishes the National Liberation Combatants Fund, worth one billion US dollars, to ensure the adequate funding of support programs to the National Liberation Combatants, namely in the areas of social support, education, health, employment, access to credit, and income-generating activities.
Lastly, the Minister of Finance gave a presentation on the budget execution for the first quarter of 2022. In the period from January 1st to March 31st, the budget execution reached 8%, with an amount of US$ 160.8 million. Of this amount, 24% (60.5 million) corresponds to the Salaries and Wages category, 9% (US$ 46.4 million) was used in Goods and Services, in Transfers 7% (US$ 49.6 million) were executed, in Development Capital there is an execution of 1% (US$ 4 million) and in Minor Capital, in the first quarter, there was an execution of 0.4% (US$ 206 thousand). The ministries with the highest percentages of execution in this period are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, which reached 33% (US$ 8.3 million), the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, with 26% (US$ 1.2 million) already executed, and the Ministry for National Liberation Fighters Affairs, with a total of 24% (US$ 23.6 million) of execution. END
- 13 of April of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 13th, 2022Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 13th, 2022
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and, 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 Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo. The main objective of the construction of this new unit is to improve access and the quality of the specialised care provided at the HNGV, with special attention to the admission 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 great impact on public health, particularly among newborns, children and adolescents.
Also approved was the draft resolution, presented by the Ministry of Planning and Territory, for the approval of the procurement procedure, by international public tender, for the adjudication of a public contract for the purchase and installation of a digital connection from Timor-Leste, through an undersea fibre optic cable, to the cities of Darwin and Port Hedland, in the Commonwealth of Australia.
Lastly, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Victor da Conceição Soares, for the attribution of subsidies to public road transport operators, national air and maritime transport operators and purchasers of fuel for agricultural and fishing activities.
Given the situation in Ukraine, which has led to a substantial increase in the price of a barrel of oil, this decree-law aims to ensure the stability of fuel prices and avoid harmful consequences for the economy and consumers. It is therefore necessary, on an exceptional and transitory basis, to intervene in the fuel market to mitigate the impact of fuel price increases on public transport and other activities that are crucial to the national economy.
The subsidy to be granted to public road transport operators, national air and sea transport operators and purchasers of fuel for agricultural and fishing activities, known as the fuel voucher, consists of a discount voucher to be used at fuel sale stations, in an amount corresponding to 100% of the difference between the average price per litre of petrol or diesel charged in December 2021 and the price per litre of petrol or diesel charged on the date the fuel voucher is issued, taking into account the type of fuel and its characteristics.
The decree will be in force until July 31, 2022, and may be extended if the fuel market's exceptional conditions for price increases remain unusually unstable. END
08 of April of 2022Day Off on Holy Thursday and the second ballot for the election of the President of the RepublicPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Sixth Constitutional Government
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Dili, April 8h, 2022
Press Release
Day Off on Holy Thursday and the second ballot for the election of the President of the Republic
Whereas Good Friday and Easter are to be celebrated on April 15th and 17th respectively;
Whereas those dates are expressly provided for in Law No. 10/2005, of August 10th, as amended by Law No. 3/2016, of May 25th, as national holidays;
Whereas the religious celebrations that take place on Holy Thursday are of great importance and significance for Catholics who usually attend them in large numbers;
Whereas also, the second ballot for the election of the President of the Republic will be held on April 19th, 2022;
Whereas a large number of people will have to travel to their respective voter registration centres to take part in the said vote and then return to their usual place of work;
Whereas it is important to combat abstention and to promote the participation of all citizens in the forthcoming elections;
Whereas the practice has been followed before;
Whereas, by the provisions of Article 7(6)(d) of Law 10/2005 of August 10th, as amended by Law 3/2016 of May 25th, it falls to the Prime Minister to grant day-off to "civil servants and agents of the ministries or services dependent on them, as well as institutes and bodies integrated into the indirect administration of the State";
Thus, under the provisions of Article 7(2)(b) and Article 7(6)(d) of Law 10/2005, of August 10th, as amended by Law 3/2016, of May 25th, I hereby determine the following:
Day-off is granted:
a) From 12:00 noon on April 14th, 2022;
b) b) On April 18th and 19th, 2022, all day;
c) Until 2:00 p.m. on April 20th, 2022.
2. The present Order covers all civil servants, agents and workers who perform duties in the services of the direct administration of the State, whether central or decentralized or in the bodies of the indirect administration.
3. Excepted from the previous number are the human resources of the public services that, due to the nature of their activity, must remain in service during that period;
4. Without prejudice to the continuity and quality of the public service to be provided, the senior managers of those services referred to in the preceding number shall provide the equal exemption from the duty of attendance of their personnel, on a date to be established in due course. END
06 of April of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 6th, 2022Approved:more
1 - the vacancies for promotion of staff integrated into the General Regime of Public Administration Careers for the year 2022;
2 - authorization to negotiate with the World Bank the specific conditions of a loan for the financing of a water supply project for the city of Dili.
Analysed:
1 - construction of the paediatric and intensive care block at the Guido Valadares National Hospital;
2 - political and legislative options underlying the initiative for the creation of the national policy for public and private archives;
3 - progress achieved in the accession process to the World Trade Organization (WTO).- 30 of March of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on March 30th, 2022Approved:more
1 - Ataúro Special Development Fund;
2 - Private investment interest in the telecommunications sector;
3 - Procurement procedure, under the form of an international public tender, for the awarding of the contract for the construction of the “Jardim da Chama Eterna” (Garden of the Eternal Flame); and
4 - President of the Civil Protection Authority. 
25 of March of 2022Timor-Leste regrets the passing away of Madeleine AlbrightCondolences to the family and friends of Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State of the United States of America, who passed away last March 23rd.more
23 of March of 2022Meeting of the Council of Ministers on March 23rd, 2022Approved:more
1 - material resources and financial incentives for community leaders;
2 - Air Services Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the United Arab Emirates;
3 - first amendment to the financial contribution agreement for development objectives between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the United States of America, through the USAID agency;
4 - supplementary payment to employees, agents and contractors of the National Press of Timor-Leste, I.P. assigned to the printing of ballots for the President of the Republic election;
5 - Government's Legislative Plan for 2022.
Analysed:
1 - policy options regarding human resources management issues in the Public Administration;
2 - existing national and international private investment proposals in the telecommunications sector, for the connection of the fibre optic cable to Timor-Leste.
22 of March of 2022National holidays in 2022The public holidays with a fixed date and variable date for 2022, determined by the Law n.10/2005 of 10th of Augustmore
