Media Releases
03 of August of 2020Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 3, 2020Approved:more
1 - Request to His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, for the declaration of a state of emergency, for thirty days.
30 of July of 2020Celebration of Idul Adha 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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July 30th, 2020
Press Release
Celebration of Idul Adha 2020
The VIII Constitutional Government presents its congratulations to the Muslim community of Timor-Leste in the Idul Adha celebrations, which this year is celebrated tomorrow, July 31.
Idul Adha, also known as the Great Feast or Feast of Sacrifice, is one of the most important ceremonies in the Islamic religion, which recalls the sacrifice of Abraham, and which follows the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is celebrated from the tenth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah (last month of the lunar year, in the Islamic calendar).
The people of Timor-Leste continue to embrace a variety of traditions, cultures and religions, which characterize the nation, and which share the universal values of forgiveness, friendship, tolerance and peace.
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Government Spokesperson, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, on behalf of the Government and the entire Timorese People, wishes the entire Muslim community of Timor-Leste and the world a happy celebration of the Idul Adha. The Government also expresses the wishes that “in the spirit of Idul Adha, the Muslim community continues to contribute intensively to national development and that Timor-Leste continues to be an example of solidarity and religious harmony, in the region and in the world, stand as a beacon of these valuable values”. END
29 of July of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 29th, 2020Analyzed:more
1 - Political-legislative options underlying the amendment proposal to the Law no. 7/2009, of 15th July, which creates the Civil Service Commission.
Approved:
1 - Organic Law of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication;
2 - First amendment to Decree-Law no. 28/2019, of 25th September, on the Organic Law of the Ministry of Finance;
3 - Agreement signature between the Government of Timor-Leste and World Bank, regarding a financial contribution from the Fund to the Global Partnership for Education;
4 - President of the Directive Council of the National Petroleum and Minerals Authority (ANPM);
5 - Short term measures to mitigate the impact of the economic crises resulting from COVID-19 pandemic.
22 of July of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 22nd, 2020Analyzed:more
1 - Short-term measures for the mitigation’ first phase of the COVID-19 crisis impacts;
2 - Legislative policy options on the General State Budget and Public Financial Management Law;
3 - Presentation on Program-based budgeting;
4 - Coordination and monitorization mechanisms for the institutional reforms’ implementation.
Approved:
1 - Resolution to the National Parliament Proposal for the ratification of the Air Services Agreement between the Government of Timor-Leste and the Government of Australia.
15 of July of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 15, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 15, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved a draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Defense, Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus, concerning the creation of the Maritime Authority System (SAM). This Diploma aims to affirm national sovereignty and project the State's authority in waters under Timorese jurisdiction, in line with the established in the "Study of the Force 2020", in the Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030 and also in the Strategic Concept of Defense and National Security in force. Through the diploma, the Government approves the creation of the SAM, as an institutional framework for the coordination of entities, bodies or services at the central and peripheral level that, with coordination, executive, advisory or police functions, exercise powers of State authority over maritime spaces under national sovereignty or jurisdiction. With this Decree-Law, the National Maritime Authority (AMN) is also created, which is, by inertness, the Chief of Staff-General of the Armed Forces. The Directorate of the Maritime Authority and its services with sam competences are also established.
The members of the Council of Ministers approved two draft Government Resolutions, presented by The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, on the appointment of seven Regional Secretaries of the Authority of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-cusse Ambeno (RAEOA) and two Deputy Regional Secretaries of the President of the RAEOA Authority. The new Regional Secretaries of the RAEOA Authority will assume responsibilities in the areas of regional administration of education and social solidarity, finance, land and property, administration, health, and trade and industry. The President of the RAEOA Authority will be responsible over the areas of planning and infrastructure, spatial planning and registration, and rural development and community tourism. The Deputy Regional Secretaries of the President of the RAEOA hold administrative execution positions, with powers to administer sets of specific areas of activity and respond in the performance of their duties directly before the President of the Authority. ENDS
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved a draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Defense, Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus, concerning the creation of the Maritime Authority System (SAM). This Diploma aims to affirm national sovereignty and project the State's authority in waters under Timorese jurisdiction, in line with the established in the "Study of the Force 2020", in the Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030 and also in the Strategic Concept of Defense and National Security in force. Through the diploma, the Government approves the creation of the SAM, as an institutional framework for the coordination of entities, bodies or services at the central and peripheral level that, with coordination, executive, advisory or police functions, exercise powers of State authority over maritime spaces under national sovereignty or jurisdiction. With this Decree-Law, the National Maritime Authority (AMN) is also created, which is, by inertness, the Chief of Staff-General of the Armed Forces. The Directorate of the Maritime Authority and its services with sam competences are also established.
The members of the Council of Ministers approved two draft Government Resolutions, presented by The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, on the appointment of seven Regional Secretaries of the Authority of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-cusse Ambeno (RAEOA) and two Deputy Regional Secretaries of the President of the RAEOA Authority. The new Regional Secretaries of the RAEOA Authority will assume responsibilities in the areas of regional administration of education and social solidarity, finance, land and property, administration, health, and trade and industry. The President of the RAEOA Authority will be responsible over the areas of planning and infrastructure, spatial planning and registration, and rural development and community tourism. The Deputy Regional Secretaries of the President of the RAEOA hold administrative execution positions, with powers to administer sets of specific areas of activity and respond in the performance of their duties directly before the President of the Authority. ENDS
08 of July of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 8, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 8, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved a draft Government Resolution, presented by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, concerning the completion of the construction of the cargo and passenger ship "Haksolok". In addition to its national nature and the public interest of improving and increasing national communication networks - through the improvement of connections on the north coast of the country - and in creating a link to the adjacent Indonesian islands, the project to acquire the Ro-Ro Ferry, has as main objective to reduce the isolation of the region of Oé-cusse Ambeno. The Resolution determines that the Special Administrative Region of Oé-cusse Ambeno (RAEOA) is the public legal person responsible for conducting the negotiation process and promoting the steps necessary for the completion of the construction of the ship "Haksolok". The RAEOA bodies are also solely responsible for the commission of acts related to the management of the contract concluded with Atlanticeagle Shipbuilding for the construction of the cargo and passenger ship "Haksolok".
The Council of Ministers approved a Resolution that has as its object the approval of the dismissal of Francisco da Costa Monteiro from the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Timor Gap - Timor Gas & Petróleo, E.P., and of the position of President of the Executive Board and the approval of the appointment of António José Loiola de Sousa to the same positions..
The President of the Commission for the Preparation of the Economic Recovery Plan, Rui Augusto Gomes, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on a set of recommendations for short-term measures, in the first phase of mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. During the presentation, the President of the Commission presented data on the international conjuncture, in which COVID-19 is affecting income worldwide, with the largest contraction in economic activity since the Great Depression in 1929, affecting health, causing directly and indirectly thousands of deaths, and education, with the closure of schools and the effective reduction in the number of children with access to education. The presentation also focused on the context of Timor-Leste, the diagnosis of the economic and social situation of the country before COVID-19 and the impacts of the new coronavirus in Timor-Leste. Although the measures adopted by the Government during the term of the State of Emergency have contributed to securing jobs and supporting businesses, as well as maintaining the consumption levels of workers and families, it is considered that there is a need to maintain or create new measures in 2020 to support the satisfaction of citizens' basic needs, support informal sector workers, maintain jobs and incomes and keep businesses operating. The Government will continue to examine the Commission's recommendations to decide which short-term measures will be implemented in 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
Finally, the Council of Ministers approved a draft resolution, presented by The Minister of Finance, Fernando Hanjam, on the final ceiling for the temporary budget allocation for the month of July 2020, with the amount set at US$120.7 million (including the payment of loans). ENDS- 01 of July of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 1, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of July 1, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved a draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, concerning the organic of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM). This law amends the organic of the PCM, following the new governmental structure and seeks to clarify the tasks of the PCM, considering its specific legal nature as a Government department, chaired by the Prime Minister, assisted by the Minister of the PCM. In order to strengthen the efficiency of the administrative action of the administrative services, the organization of the central services falls under the direction of the Director General of Administration. The experience of the Ministry of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs in the reform of the legislative procedure and in administrative innovation is reflected in the administrative reorganization of the PCM, with the creation of a Legal Support Office and an Office of Administrative Reform for the preparation and implementation of the Minister's own powers provided for in Article 13 of the Organic Law of the Eight Constitutional Government. The same idea is the base for the autonomy as an Office, of the support service given to the ministerial functions of Government spokesperson and the strengthening of translation services throughout the Government.
The Government also approved a draft, also presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, to amend the Rules of Procedure of the Council of Ministers. The revision of this Rules of Procedure aims to accommodate the reorganization of the powers of the Government members, reflecting the change to the organic of the Eight Constitutional Government. It also reviews the rules on the legislative Government procedure, considering the integration of legislative reform powers, into the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The current Rules of Procedure seek to maintain the decisive importance of the timing of the decision to legislate, which adequately guides the legislative procedure, in this case by the reasons for that decision and through the inclusion in the Government’s legislative, assessed regularly. The new rules maintain the core of the previous regimental discipline, regarding the simplification of the legislative procedure, avoiding duplication of the intervention of interested parties at the time of the issuance of mandatory opinions and the subsequent circulation of diplomas before the scheduling in the Council of Ministers while also reinforcing the mechanisms for articulating the different contributions to the legislative procedure.
Finally, the Council of Ministers gave full powers to Finance Minister Fernando Hanjan to sign an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on a financial contribution of one million US dollars, from the Asia-Pacific Disaster Response Fund, to support the population affected by COVID-19, in particular in food security-related programs. The agreement provides for the financial contribution to be used to buy food from national farmers and to distribute it to the most vulnerable families. The program will be implemented by the United Nations in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. ENDS 
29 of June of 2020Timor-Leste Welcomes the Chairman’s Statement of the 36th ASEAN SummitMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperationmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Timor-Leste Welcomes the Chairman’s Statement of the 36th ASEAN Summit
Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, congratulates ASEAN and Vietnam as 2020 Chair, on the successful completion of the 36th ASEAN Summit on 26 June 2020.
We recognise that ASEAN’s coordination and leadership on responses to the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly enhanced our region’s resilience during this time, and this underscores the importance of cross-border cooperation as we rebuild in the period ahead.
Recognition of Positive Momentum Towards ASEAN Accession
Timor-Leste welcomes ASEAN’s clear recognition of the positive momentum towards our accession to ASEAN, as set out in the Chair’s Statement. We are also grateful for the strong expressions of support from ASEAN member states on accession, which were made at the Summit.
As confirmed in the Chair's Statement, Timor-Leste looks forward to convening the two remaining Fact-Finding Missions on the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. The completion of these missions in 2020 will allow ASEAN to finalise its comprehensive assessment of technical readiness, and pave the way for accession in the near term.
The Government of Timor-Leste remains strongly committed to achieving a smooth accession process, and will continue to enhance coordination with ASEAN, to build on the great strides towards technical preparedness. ENDS
