Media Releases
- 22 of Outubro of 2019Condolences on the death of the former Minister of Defense of the VI Constitutional Government, Cirilio CristóvãoPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
October 21, 2019
Condolences on the death of the former Minister of Defense of the VI Constitutional Government, Cirilio Cristóvão
available soon - 16 of Outubro of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of October 16, 2019Analyzed:more
1 - National Maritime Authority System
Approved:
1 - Full powers for the signature of the subsidiary agreement between the Government of Timor-Leste and the Federal Government of Australia, concerning the Program for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Timor-Leste (Nabilan)
2 - Amendment to the list of names to be proposed to the President of the Republic for the leadership of the diplomatic missions of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Vatican. - 10 of Outubro of 2019250th Anniversary of the City of DiliPrime Ministermore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Dili, October 10, 2019
250th Anniversary of the City of Dili
Thursday, October 10th, 2019, we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the city of Díli, as the capital of Timor-Leste.
Although the capital city is not considered, under Article 14th of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, a national symbol, as the flag, emblem and national anthem, it is nevertheless a “symbol of Independence and National Development”, for most of the national and foreign citizens who visit us.
The date of the beginning of the construction of the city, therefore, is a great example and reference to reflect on the processes of construction, planning and urban planning, in favour of a city that we want increasingly humane, sustainable and environmentally friendly, in accordance with international best practices.
Considering that the VIII Constitutional Government Program has prioritized the wellbeing of citizens, in particular its component of access to education, health, social security, housing, electricity, water and sanitation services, pillars of a city provided with good quality of life, we invite all citizens to join these celebrations, through increasingly informed, active, participatory and committed citizenship, for the good development of our capital city, in collaboration with the Government and with the local authorities.
We want to have a clean, green and supportive City to live and work. 
09 of Outubro of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of October 9, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of October 9, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and analyzed the proposed Decree-Law, presented by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, referring to the Sixth Amendment to the Decree-law Nº 10/2005 of 21 November on the Legal Procurement Regime. This amendment seeks to ensure that the advertising of international public procurement notices is no longer necessarily published in international printed newspapers and is then publicized on electronic platforms Internationally used for this purpose, as well as in a newspaper with national circulation. The proposal will again be analyzed at a later meeting of the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers examined the proposed Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Justice, Manuel Cárceres da Costa, which establishes the new regime of admission and training in the careers of Judicial Magistrates, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Public Defenders Office while regulating the nature, structure and functioning of the Legal and Judicial Training Centre. The proposal will again be analyzed at a later meeting of the Council of Ministers.
The Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva and the National Procurement Commission presented two proposals for deliberation to the Council of Ministers concerning the procurement process for the update of 200 MBS satellite Broadband for 1 GBS and contract splicing for satellite broadband update from 100 to 200 Mbps. The proposal will again be analyzed at a later meeting of the Council of Ministers.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on possible applications of Timor-Leste to the position of Vice-President of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations, to positions in The United Nations Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council and the UN Women Executive Council, and applications to the Committee on Population and Development and the non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. ENDS- 04 of Outubro of 2019Condolences on the death of former President of the Court of Appeal Guilhermino da SilvaPrime Ministermore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Dili, October 4, 2019
Condolences on the death of former President of the Court of Appeal Guilhermino da Silva
His Excellency Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak express his deep regret and sadness with the news of the death of the former President of the Court of Appeal, Dr. Guilhermino da Silva, who passing away in October 3rd 2019.
“I am really sorry to hear the news of the passing of former President of the Court of Appeal which I deeply regret. I knew Mr. Guilhermino da Silva very well, he was humble and dedicated all his life to the development of the justice sector. When I was President of the Republic, we used to meet each other in the Presidential Palace, to share thoughts and ideas regarding the justice sector of our nation. Sadly, he was not able to finish his mandate, due to health problems, and he submitted his resignation letter to me, which I accepted so that he could concentrated fully on his health treatment and recovery. Unfortunately, God had another plan for him, so he let us early.
I would like to take this moment of grieving, on behalf of VIII Constitutional Government and on my one, to offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved family and we all pray that God will offer him an eternal resting place in Heaven” said Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak. End 
02 of Outubro of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of October 2, 2019Analyzed:more
1 - Presentation on the development plan of the Port of Hera;
2 - Proposals for deliberation, relating to the process of early procurement and amendment of the contract for satellite broadband update.
Approved
1 - Government Resolution concerning the renewal of the mandate of the members of the of the Timorese Archive and Resistance Museum IP (AMRT);
2 - Government Resolution on the reserve for Timor Gap-Timor Gas & Petroleum, E.P. in public procurement for the conclusion of petroleum contracts;
3 - General State Budget for 2020.
27 of September of 2019Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of September 27, 2019Analyzedmore
1 - Government Resolution on the authorisation to open public tenders for the conclusion of petroleum contracts;
2 - Outbreak of African Swine Fever.
Approved
1 - Government Decree which regulates the procedure concerning the allocation of areas of the territory of Timor-Leste to research and oil production activities.
27 of September of 2019African Swine Fever in Timor-LestePresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
September 27, 2019
African Swine Fever in Timor-Leste
Since the beginning of September 2019, there were registered a number of cases of infection and deaths of pigs in Timor-Leste, caused by African swine fever. Many of these cases have been reported by the owners of the pigs in Díli. To identify the disease, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAP) collected samples of affected pigs and sent them to a laboratory in Australia for testing.
The results of the laboratory tests conducted in Australia confirmed that African swine fever (ASF) has already entered Timor-Leste and that 41% of the samples were contaminated with the disease.
Up until September 19, 2019, in Dili, the MAP recorded nearly 400 cases of pigs who died and another 400 that are contaminated with the disease.
Historically, Timor-Leste has been free of African Swine fever. In order to guarantee this, Decree-Law No. 21/2003 on the quarantine regime, and specifically in its article 56, defines that the importation of pigs and products derived from countries affected by African swine fever is prohibited.
When the disease began to spread in the Asian region, the MAP organized a seminar on the disease on June 13, 2019, as a preventive measure. The aim of this seminar was to hold a technical discussion between the MAP and other directly relevant public services, such as customs, AIFAESA, PNTL, UNTL, or SERVE, to study the possibilities of biosecurity reinforcement and control in Timor-Leste, regarding this animal disease.
African swine fever is a viral disease of African origin. Although it has already been a known disease for many years, so far no treatment or vaccine has been found to prevent or treat the disease. At this time there is an outbreak of African swine fever in the Asian region. Until September 2019, the Asian countries in which there is already confirmation of the outbreak are China, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, North Korea and Mongolia ( FAO data, 2019).
In Timor-Leste, African swine fever puts at risk about 400.000 pigs with more than 70% of Timorese families dependent on the raising of pigs for their livelihoods.
Regarding public health issues, the MAP clarifies that African swine fever is not a zoonotic disease, i.e. te disease does not pose a risk to humans.
The immediate action that is currently underway is a suspension of the movement of pigs between Dili and the other municipalities. The services of the control posts for the transport of animals were reinforced and, with cooperation of the security authorities, measures were implemented to restrict the movement of animals, namely pigs, between Dili and the other municipalities.
The MAP is in close cooperation with the Government of Australia, to take measures such as testing the samples, in order to have definitive confirmation of contamination with African swine fever .
The MAP is also, in conjunction with the World Organization of Animal Health, also known by the acronym OIE, producing information materials to explain the disease and the precautions to take. ENDS
