Media Releases
13 of January of 2020Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of January 13, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of January 13, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium at the Ministry of Finance in Dili and approved the Government Decree, presented by Acting Finance Minister Sara Lobo Brites, on budgetary implementation in a duodecimal regime. Given that the procedure for passing the 2020 State General Budget Law is not yet complete, this Government Decree approves, under Law No 13/2009, amended by Laws Nº 9/2011 and Nº 3/2013, the set of rules to discipline the application of the duodecimal regime. This diploma takes effect on 1 January 2020 and ceases automatically after the entry into force of the State General Budget law for 2020. ENDS- 19 of December of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 19 December 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 19 December 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the Draft Law of the General State Budget (OGE) for the fiscal year 2020, presented by the Acting Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites. The OGE 2020 was prepared on the basis of five key principles: medium and long-term fiscal sustainability, alignment with national priorities, budgetary implementation capacity, the absorption capacity of the local economy and the quality of the budget. In this regard, the Council of Ministers approved a budget for 2020 with an estimated public expenditure of around US$ 1,668 million (one billion, six hundred and sixty eight million US dollars), including revenue stemming from the RAEOA/ZEEMS, the European Union (EU) and Loans, to cover the needs of the program and national priorities defined by the VIII Constitutional Government. This new OGE Proposal for 2020 will be submitted to the National Parliament on 19 December 2019.
The Prime Minister thanked the working team, created on December 4, that carried out the review of the OGE, which was led by the Minister of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira; the Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites; the Minister of Transport and Communication, José Agustinho da Silva and the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Dulce de Jesus Freitas. ENDS
- 18 of December of 2019 Tolerance Days-Off on December 24, 26, 30, and January 2, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release Correction dated 18 December 2019
Tolerance Days-Off on December 24, 26 and 30, 2019 and January 2, 2020
Law No. 10/2005 of 10 August, in the wording given by Law No. 3/2016 of 25 May, establishes the days which are national holidays and commemorative official dates, while also setting the conditions under which tolerance/-days off are granted.
Christmas is one of the solemnities that is of the utmost importance in the Christian community, in which the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated, with a Christmas Mass.
Considering that Christmas is still associated with a family celebration, traditionally devoted to the gathering of all its members.
Considering that New Year's Day, a day of thanks for the year that has passed and of welcome to the coming year, it is also marked with festivities and religious ceremonies.
Considering article 7, in paragraphs a) and (c) of nº 2 and paragraph d) of nº 6 of Law nº 10/2005 of 10 August, in the wording set out by Law Nº 3/2016 of 25 May, the Prime Minister determines:
1. Tolerance Days-Off are granted on 24, 26 and 30 December 2019, throughout the day;
2. Tolerance Days-Off are granted, too, on January 2, 2020, throughout the day.
This order covers all officials and agents of their dependent ministries or services, as well as institutes and bodies integrated into the indirect administration of the State. ENDS
- 18 of December of 2019National holidays in 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
National holidays in 2020
The public holidays with a fixed date and variable date for 2019, determined by the Law n.10/2005 of 10th of August, are:
a) 1st of January – New Year’s Day (fixed date public holiday)
b) 3rd of March – Veterans Day (fixed date public holiday)
c) 10th of April – Holy Friday (variable date public holiday)
d) 1st of May – World Labour Day (fixed date public holiday)
e) 20th of May – Restoration of Independence Day (fixed date public holiday);
f) 24th of May – Idul Fitri (variable date public holiday);
g) 11th of June – Corpus Christi (variable date public holiday);
h) 31th of July – Idul Adha (variable date public holiday);
j) 30th of August – Popular Consultation Day (fixed date public holiday);
j) 1st of November – All Saints Day (fixed date public holiday);
k) 2nd of November – All Souls Day (fixed date public holiday);
l) 12th of November –National Youth Day (fixed date public holiday);
m) 28th of November – Proclamation of Independence Day (fixed date public holiday);
n) 7th of December – Memorial Day (fixed date public holiday);
o) 8th of December – Day of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and Timor-Leste Patroness (fixed date public holiday);
p) 25th of December – Christmas Day (fixed date public holiday).
q) 31st of December – National Heroes Day (fixed date public holiday).
The Law n. 10/2005, of 10th of August, determines national public holidays, official commemorative dates and the granting of days-off, and has been amended by Law n. 3/2016, of 25th of May, to recognise key historical dates of the Timorese Struggle for National Liberation. ENDS - 18 of December of 2019Council of Ministers meeting of December 18, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Council of Ministers meeting of December 18, 2019
available soon... 
06 of December of 2019Lighthouse vs Timor-Leste Court of Appeal (Supreme Court of Victoria)Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
December 13, 2019
Lighthouse vs Timor-Leste Court of Appeal (Supreme Court of Victoria)
The Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal today handed down judgment on the government of Timor-Leste’s appeal against a decision of the Supreme Court of Victoria in May 2019 to grant Lighthouse Corporation Pty Ltd and Lighthouse Corporation IBC (together Lighthouse) the right to hear their case against the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and its electricity department (EDTL) in Victoria. The dispute relates to events that took place in Timor-Leste in 2010 and 2011 in respect of an alleged contract for the supply of fuel and generators in Timor-Leste. The government of Timor-Leste believes no binding contract was entered into.
The Court of Appeal found that it was open to the trial judge to find as he did, that Victoria was not a clearly inappropriate forum in which to hear the dispute. The Court of Appeal found that the judge did not err in his approach to determining the issue, and therefore refused leave to appeal.
Timor-Leste had argued that the trial judge erred in two important ways in reaching his finding on the issue of “forum non conveniens”. This was not accepted by the Court of Appeal.
In particular, Timor-Leste had argued that the dispute’s connections to Victoria were insubstantial, tangential to the main issues, and tenuous, and that there were a number of very substantial connections with Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste argued that the primary judge, Almond J, should have found Victoria was a clearly inappropriate forum for the dispute to be heard, given the relevance of Timorese law to determining the existence of a contract (an issue in dispute in the case) and other factors connecting the case with Timor-Leste.
The case involved complex legal issues, and the government of Timor-Leste will now consider the detail of the judgment and review its legal options. The government of Timor-Leste remains confident in its legal position regarding the lack of contract between the parties, regardless of where the case is heard.
The dispute over whether Victoria was the appropriate forum for the case followed an unsuccessful attempt by Lighthouse in 2015 to have the dispute heard by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). On the 23 December 2017 the Tribunal determined that ICSID had no jurisdiction to hear the case. ENDS- 20 of November of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 20 November 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 20 November 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and he heard a presentation by the Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion, Maria José da Fonseca Monteiro de Jesus, on the State Report for the CEDAW Committee (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women). CEDAW was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1979 and entered into force on 3 September 1981. With 185 State- Parties and having been ratified by Timor-Leste in 2003, it is one of the most ratified human rights treaties. The report presents the national situation, challenges and progress since 2015 with a view to eliminating discrimination against women in different areas in order to ensure the principle of equality between women and men at legal, social, political, economic and cultural levels, as provided for in Article 17 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The Report to be sent to the CEDAW Committee was adopted.
The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, presented the draft Decree-Law, approved by the Council of Ministers, referring to the sixth amendment to Decree-Law Nº 10/2005 of 21 November on the Legal Provisioning Regime. This amendment determines that international public tender announcements will no longer be published in printed newspapers of international circulation, determining that it is required they be published on at least two electronic platforms internationally used for this purpose, as well as in a newspaper with national circulation.
The Minister of Justice, Manuel Cárceres da Costa, presented two draft Decree-Laws, approved by the Council of Ministers, on the Organic Structure and the New Regime of Training Activities of the Center for Legal and Judicial Training (CFJJ). These diplomas aim to reorganize the structure of the CFJJ, through a diploma of higher hierarchy, reinforcing its identity as an institution of excellence for legal and judicial training, and by endorsing it with the organic and organizational conditions appropriate to the fulfilment of this important mission. It is also intended to remove all conflicting rules with other diplomas, namely statutory diplomas from other professional careers in the justice sector, while introducing new solutions in this regime, correcting procedures and practices that needed changes or improvements.
The Minister of Justice also presented the draft Government Decree, approved by the Council of Ministers, regarding the Updating of the Staff Framework of the Public Prosecutor's Office. This Government Decree creates conditions for the regular development in the career of the judiciary of the Public Prosecutor's Office and extends the vacancies for the places of entry into this same career, in compliance with legally established requirements and in compliance with the objectives set out in the Eight Constitutional Government’s Program, with a view to consolidating the Justice sector, supporting it with competent, independent and professional human resources.
The Interim Minister Coordinator for Economic Affairs, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães and TradeInvest gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the Special Investment Agreement between the State of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Pelican Paradise Group, Lda. The project provides for an investment of US$700 million for the development of a tourism complex, in an area of about 550 hectares, in the Tasi Tolu area, which includes hotel units, a golf course, residential lots, a youth development center, an international school, an international hospital and shopping centers. This tourism complex will allow the creation of approximately 1500 jobs in the construction phase, 1300 permanent jobs after the construction and reforestation of 80% of the project area.
The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Defense, Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus, which approves the Statute of the Military in Peace and Humanitarian Missions abroad, within the framework of international commitments undertaken by Timor-Leste, defining the terms of their participation in the missions.
Finally, the Acting Finance Minister, Sara Lobo Brites, presented a draft Decree-Law, relating to the extraordinary payment of one month of additional salary to the public administration and a draft Government Decree regarding the additional payment to officials and agents of the Ministry of Finance allocated to the process of preparing the General Budget of the State for 2020 and closing the 2019 State Account. The two diplomas were approved by the Council of Ministers. ENDS - 08 of November of 2019Timor-Leste Welcomes the Statement from the 35th ASEAN SummitPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
November 8, 2019
Timor-Leste Welcomes the Statement from the 35th ASEAN Summit
Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, welcomes the Chairman's statement from the 35th ASEAN Summit on 3 November 2019 in Bangkok.
We recognise that the outcome of the Summit continues to build clear momentum towards our accession to ASEAN, and would like to thank the member states for their dedication to considering the Timorese application for membership, and their sincere engagement in the substantive matters.
Our special appreciation also goes to Thailand for its chairmanship, and for leading the recent Fact-finding Mission to Timor-Leste on the APSC pillar.
The Government of Timor-Leste remains strongly committed to achieving a smooth accession process, and will continue to enhance coordination with ASEAN at bilateral and regional levels, to build on the great strides towards technical preparedness over coming months.
As confirmed in the Summit Chair's Statement, Timor-Leste looks forward to receiving the Fact-finding Missions on the remaining two pillars: AEC and ASCC.
Lastly, we congratulate Vietnam for taking over as the new Chair, and look forward to working together to “boost ASEAN solidarity and unity.” ENDS
