Media Releases
27 of February of 2020Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of february 27, 2020Approved:more
1 - Government Resolution on the Tariff Regime Associated with the Use of the Port of Tibar and Associated Services;
2 - Use of the IDA 18 concessional loan from the World Bank.- 19 of February of 2020Day Off on the 26th February 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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February 19, 2020
Press Release
Day Off on the 26th February 2020
Law nº. 10/2005, of August 10, in the wording defined by Law no. 3/2016, of May 25, establishes the days that are national holidays, the official commemorative dates and the other circumstances in which tolerance days-off may be granted. When it comes to tolerance days-off, paragraph C) of nº 2 of article 7 of the same law determines that a religious celebration not contemplated by law may be subject to tolerance.
Among the official commemorative dates is Ash Wednesday, which, each year, has a variable date. Ash Wednesday is one of the solemnities that holds great significance in the Christian community. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent on the calendar of the Catholic religion that occurs forty days before Easter and this year corresponds to Wednesday, February 26.
Thus, considering the provision in paragraph c) of nº 2 of article 7, and in paragraph d) of nº 6 of that article, the Government determines the following:
1. A tolerance day-off is granted on February 26, 2020, throughout the day;
2. This order covers all officials and agents of the Ministries or services under their dependency, as well as of the institutes and bodies integrated in the indirect administration of the State. ENDS
- 19 of February of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of february 19Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 19, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Government Resolution presented by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, for the repeal of Government Resolution Nº 16/2013 on the extinction of martial arts groups. The Government also instructs the National Police of Timor-Leste to step up actions to combat crimes related to the illicit practice of martial arts and rituals.
The Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, presented five legislative initiatives approved by the Council of Ministers.
The first Draft Law passed refers to the Social Security Legal Regime of Holders of Sovereignty Bodies. This legal regime seeks to promote the exercise of the right to social security on an equal footing, valuing the contributory career of holders of sovereignty bodies.
Members of the Government also approved the Legislative Authorization Bill on the General Bases of the Organization of Public Administration. This legislative instrument aims to fill the constitutional gap in matters of administrative organization, providing the entire public administration with the general bases of its operation.
The proposal for a Decree-Law of the Organization of Direct and Indirect Administration of the State was also approved by the Council of Ministers. The main objective of this legislative diploma is to adequately organize the direct and indirect administration of the State, promoting the effectiveness of its performance and facilitating the pursuit of its activities by the interoperability and intercommunicability of human and material resources.
The Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs also presented the Public Administration Reform Program. This programme contains a set of administrative reforms aimed at strengthening the management and improvement of the functioning of the Ministries and Agencies of the Central Government.
The last legislative diploma proposed by the Ministry of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs concerns the establishment of the Interministerial Commission for the Preparation of the Single Citizens Identifier System. The objective of this system is to improve the provision of services to citizens, greater social inclusion and the launch of electronic governance at national level. The Technical Committee will be chaired by the Executive Director of the ICT Timor Public Institute and composed of representatives of relevant Ministries. The Commission should within a maximum of six months complete an integrated strategy for the materialisation of that single identifier system, together with a detailed implementation plan and its budget, to be submitted to the Ministers.
The Council of Ministers approved a Government Resolution, presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, regarding the appointment of Alexandre Pires, as chairman of the Board of Directors and Alves Gomes Martins and Cecilia da Fonseca, as members of the Board of Directors of the Institute for the Quality of Timor-Leste, IP. The Government also appointed Carlito Gama and José Gonçalves to the Fiscal Council of the Institute for Quality of Timor-Leste, IP.
Finally, the Acting Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano, presented the draft Government Resolution, approved by the Council of Ministers, regarding the appointment of Filomena da Costa Nunes, as the new Administrator of the Municipality of Manufahi, a position that had been vacant since October 2018, due to the death of its holder. ENDS 
12 of February of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of february 12, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 12, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved two legislative projects related to the process of administrative decentralization, presented by the Acting Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano.
The first draft Decree-Law concerns the second amendment to Decree-Law No. 3/2016 of March 16, which approves the Statute of Municipal Administrations, Municipal Authorities and the Interministerial Technical Group for Administrative Decentralization. With this amendment, a set of concrete measures are taken to implement processes of deconcentration and administrative decentralisation, particularly regarding the creation and establishment of local authorities, in particular the revision of the legal framework for the organisation and functioning of municipal authorities and municipal administrations.
The second legislative project refers to the Government Decree for the creation of the Municipal Portal and the establishment of its legal regime, operation and management. The Municipal Portal aims to provide public municipal information, and thus support municipal progress and development in social, economic, infrastructure and cultural terms. The Portal is also a central information collection instrument in a coherent, centralised and transparent manner on each of the municipalities for the production of statistical information in several areas, namely education, health, safety, public works and transport, water, basic sanitation and environment, agriculture, market management and tourism, social action, civil protection, natural disaster management, records, notaries and registration services and support to non-governmental, government and community organizations.
The Council of Ministers approved the budget, with a value of 511,250 US dollars, presented by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Dulce de Jesus Soares and the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, Nélio Isaac Sarmento, for the organization of the preparatory meeting of directors general of CPLP countries and the XII Sports Games of the CPLP, a multi-sport event for athletes under the age of 16 representing all member countries of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries. The official music of the event, sung by national artists Maria Vitória and Gerson de Oliveira, was also presented to the Council of Ministers. ENDS- 12 of February of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of february 12, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 12, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved two legislative projects related to the process of administrative decentralization, presented by the Acting Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano.
The first draft Decree-Law concerns the second amendment to Decree-Law No. 3/2016 of March 16, which approves the Statute of Municipal Administrations, Municipal Authorities and the Interministerial Technical Group for Administrative Decentralization. With this amendment, a set of concrete measures are taken to implement processes of deconcentration and administrative decentralisation, particularly regarding the creation and establishment of local authorities, in particular the revision of the legal framework for the organisation and functioning of municipal authorities and municipal administrations.
The second legislative project refers to the Government Decree for the creation of the Municipal Portal and the establishment of its legal regime, operation and management. The Municipal Portal aims to provide public municipal information, and thus support municipal progress and development in social, economic, infrastructure and cultural terms. The Portal is also a central information collection instrument in a coherent, centralised and transparent manner on each of the municipalities for the production of statistical information in several areas, namely education, health, safety, public works and transport, water, basic sanitation and environment, agriculture, market management and tourism, social action, civil protection, natural disaster management, records, notaries and registration services and support to non-governmental, government and community organizations.
The Council of Ministers approved the budget, with a value of 511,250 US dollars, presented by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Dulce de Jesus Soares and the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, Nélio Isaac Sarmento, for the organization of the preparatory meeting of directors general of CPLP countries and the XII Sports Games of the CPLP, a multi-sport event for athletes under the age of 16 representing all member countries of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries. The official music of the event, sung by national artists Maria Vitória and Gerson de Oliveira, was also presented to the Council of Ministers. ENDS - 06 of February of 2020Message of thanks to the Government of New ZealandPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Message of thanks to the Government of New Zealand
available soon - 05 of February of 2020Expression of Grief for the Death of James Stanley DunnPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Dili, 5 February 2020
Press Release
Vote of Condolences for the Death of James Stanley Dunn
It was with great dismay and great regret that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste received the news of the death of James Dunn, Australian consul in Dili between 1962 and 1964. James Dunn died on January 31, aged 92, in Canberra, Australia.
James Dunn was a staunch supporter of the self-determination of the Timorese people, with his February 1977 report and his 1983 book, Timor: A People Betrayed, in which he detailed serious human rights violations which occurred during the Indonesian occupation, and which served as a basis and inspiration for activists and advocates of the Timorese cause and allowed to attract the attention of the international community, especially the Australian Parliament, American Congress and the United Nations.
His work in defense of the rights of the Timorese people was recognized in his country in 2001, having become a Member of the Order of Australia and in Timor-Leste on 30 August 2009, with the award of the Medal of the Order of Timor-Leste, by the then President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta.
The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, on behalf of the Timorese People, sends condolences to James Dunn's family and the thanks of a nation forever grateful.
The Minister of State and Government Spokesman, Agio Pereira, said that James Dunn will not be forgotten in Timor-Leste and will forever be remembered with great affection, admiration and respect. In this moment of sadness, we mourn his death, but we celebrate his contribution. ENDS 
05 of February of 2020Meeting of the Council of Ministers of february 5, 2020Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of February 5, 2020
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and heard a presentation of the Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, on the Public Administration Reform Program. This program presents a set of administrative reforms aimed at strengthening the management and improvement of the functioning of the Ministries and Agencies of the Central Government.
The Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs also made a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the Draft Law on the approval of the Legal Regime of Social Security of Holders of Organs of Sovereignty. This legal regime seeks to promote the exercise of the right to social security on an equal footing, valuing the contributory career of former members of sovereignty institutions.
The Council of Ministers also heard a presentation on a Draft of Law presented by the Minister for Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs regarding Legislative Authorization on the General Bases of the Organization of Public Administration.
The Acting Finance Minister, Sara Lobo Brites, presented the government deliberation project, approved by the Council of Ministers, on the budget ceiling for February under the duodecimal regime. The total amount of expenditure for salaries and salaries will be USD 17 852 076, for goods and services will be USD 38 614 980, for public transfers will be USD 26 591 048 and for development capital will be USD 33 390 953, totaling USD 116 449 057.
The Council of Ministers approved the Draft Resolution, presented by the Minister of Justice, Manuel Cárceres da Costa, on the allocation of residence to former holders of sovereignty bodies, former President of the Republic and former Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, former Prime Minister Marí Bim Amude Alkatiri and former President of the National Parliament, Vicente da Silva Guterres.
The Minister of Public Works, Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires, presented the Draft Deliberation, approved by the Council of Ministers, on the First Amendment to the Subcontract Nº ICB/099/MOPTC-2016 with Shanghai Construction Group Co. Ltd., for the Road Network Improvement and Maintenance Project, Dili-Ainaro: C16/17, Package 1, Aipelo-Bazarte,in the amount of USD 5 083 690.14, dated December 29, 2017.
The Council of Ministers approved a proposed Decree-Law, presented by the Acting Minister for the Affairs of National Liberation Combatants, Gil da Costa Monteiro 'Oan Soru', which approves the 6th amendment to Decree-Law No. 15/2008, of June 4, which regulates the pensions of combatants and martyrs of national liberation. With this amendment, part of the pension of combatants and martyrs of national liberation is withheld, except in cases where there is express opposition to such retention. The amounts retained by the State are intended to be deposited into a bank account under title and administered by the Council of National Liberation Combatants.
Finally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dionísio Babo Soares, presented a draft Government Resolution, approved by the Council of Ministers, which regulates the implementation of temporary measures to interdict and restrict the entry of foreign citizens who travelled from the People's Republic of China into the national territory, considering the risk associated with the rapid spread of Coronavirus 2019-nCoV. Through this Resolution, the measure of interdiction of entry into national territory is applied to foreign citizens who have been in transit in the last four weeks in the province of Hubei, People's Republic of China, to foreign citizens who have been out or transited in the People's Republic of China in the last four weeks, and may be allowed entry into the national territory by submitting a medical report with photo, issued by a medical institution internationally recognized. The measures to prohibit and restrict the entry of foreign citizens from the People's Republic of China, defined in accordance with this Resolution, will be reviewed fortnightly with a view to their maintenance or elimination. Under this Government Resolution, the Acting Minister of Health was mandated to instruct the competent services of the Ministry of Health to, in coordination with the relevant ministries, act in accordance with the protocols established by the World Health Organization. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation was also mandated to ensure frequent diplomatic communication with the authorities of the People's Republic of China in a show of solidarity with the Government and people of the People's Republic of China, taking into account the strong relations of cooperation and friendship between the two peoples and their continuity as well as instructing diplomatic missions to establish proper communication with the relevant authorities of neighboring countries on the restrictive measures set out in the this resolution. ENDS
