Media Releases
- 05 of June of 2024Meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 5th, 2024Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 5th, 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and discussed various issues, including the presentation by the Coordinator of the Justice Sector Reform Working Group, Dr Lúcia Lobato, on the action plan to improve the justice sector in Timor-Leste.
The Justice Sector Reform Working Group presented a roadmap for improving the justice sector, outlining priorities, and identifying a set of recommendations and measures for the Government to adopt to strengthen the judicial system.
The Council of Ministers discussed the recommendations presented and reiterated its support for the Justice Sector Reform Working Group to continue its work to adopt the necessary reforms.
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The Minister of Transport and Communications also presented on the progress made in installing the submarine fibre optic cable, which is expected to be operational by the end of this year.
The Council of Ministers acknowledged the team’s commitment and decided to name the submarine cable repeaters after some of Timor-Leste’s martyrs, such as Maria Udu Bele “Maria Tapó”, Rosa Bonaparte Soares “Muki”, Dulce Maria da Cruz “We-we”, Fernando de Araújo “La-sama”, Agustinho do Espírito Santo, José da Silva, Venâncio Ramos Amaral Ferraz and Dinis Carvalho da Silva “Nelo Kadomi Timor”.
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- 29 of May of 2024Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 29th, 2024Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 29th, 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and began the meeting with the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors of the National Centre Chega! I.P., from Memory to Hope, for a three-year term, as the respective positions are vacant.
Upon a proposal from the Vice-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, acting on behalf of the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Council of Ministers appointed Mr Aniceto Guro-Bertini as a member and Mr Manuel Mesquita as the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
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The Council of Ministers approved a draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of the Interior, Francisco da Costa Guterres, which aims to establish the new Statute for Police Officers of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL – acronym in Portuguese).
The new statute for police officers, approved by the Council of Ministers, includes significant amendments. These include reintroducing the oath of allegiance, defining incompatibilities, and establishing objective criteria for promotions. Additionally, new leadership positions have been created in the PNTL to address organisational needs.
This Decree-Law reflects the importance of guaranteeing a professional, well-trained, and structured national police force to consolidate the rule of law and promote democracy on national territory.
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A draft Decree-Law, also presented by the Minister of the Interior, which aims to establish a new PNTL organic law, was also approved. The aim is to restructure and modernise the institution to boost its capacity to respond to the current national challenges in line with strategic plans for development and national security.
END - 22 of May of 2024Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 22nd, 2024Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 22nd, 2024
available soon - 15 of May of 2024Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 15th, 2024Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 15th, 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and began with a presentation by the Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL), Helder Lopes, on the operational management of the Petroleum Fund.
The presentation included information on investment strategy and implementation, portfolio allocation, investment performance, Petroleum Fund revenues and Petroleum Fund withdrawals.
The Petroleum Fund’s investment strategy is guided by clear objectives established by national legislation. The aim is to ensure that revenues from petroleum exploitation are invested in a way that guarantees sustainable benefits for both current and future generations.
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The Council of Ministers approved the Draft Decree-Law for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 96/2022, of December 30th, which establishes the Millennium Challenge Account-Timor-Leste and approves the respective statutes, presented by the Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso.
Bearing in mind that the organisational structure of the 9th Constitutional Government establishes that the Millennium Challenge Account-Timor-Leste, I.P.(MCA-TL) is under the supervision of the Minister of Finance, it is necessary to amend Decree-Law no. 96/2022, of December 30th, to transfer the supervision and oversight of the MCA-TL from the Prime Minister to the Member of the Government responsible for finance.
On the other hand, it is also necessary to align certain provisions regarding the organisation of the MCA-TL to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of its underlying objectives, namely, guaranteeing a smooth transition of competences during and after the installation period and avoiding delays in decision-making regarding the MCA-TL.
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The Draft Government Resolution on Reforming the Accounting System, also presented by the Minister of Finance, was also approved.
This reform aims to guarantee reliability and modernisation in the recording, classification, and registration of income and expenditure, promote transparency in public and private finances, and boost economic development.
The main objectives include the establishment, within 12 months of a new accounting standard and chart of accounts, applicable to the public and private sectors, in line with international standards, and the implementation of an integrated system that includes and ensures the relationship between budgetary accounting, based on budget classifiers, and financial accounting, based on the chart of accounts. It should also be simple, user-friendly, and suited to the national public and private sectors' needs, capacity, and resources.
A National Accounting Council will also be established within 24 months to issue standards and recommendations. In the medium term, a certification scheme and a professional association for accounting and auditing professionals will be established to guarantee the quality of accounting professionals. END - 08 of May of 2024Statement on the passing of Dr Helen HillPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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May 8th, 2024
Press Release
Statement on the passing of Dr Helen Hill
Dr Helen Hill lived a life of solidarity with Timor-Leste.
She first visited Dili in early 1975, a time she recalled of ‘expectancy and optimism’.
Her plan to write a Masters thesis on the transition to independence in Portuguese Timor came to an end when Indonesia invaded.
Instead, she wrote ‘The Timor Story’ published in late 1975, that became the bible for scholars and activists wanting to know about the events in our embattled land leading up to the invasion.
Helen went on to be a leading international scholar on community development in Timor- Leste.
She mentored thousands of Timorese students in Dili and at Victoria University in Melbourne where she lectured for many years.
She was a co-organiser of the biennial Victoria University and Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL) conferences.
She was a Professora Convidada at UNTL, and an Honorary Fellow at Victoria University. She was awarded the Order of Timor-Leste for her lifetime of solidarity to our country in 2014. Helen was also a co-founder of the Australia-East Timor Association.
Helen Hill helped share our story and our struggle with the world. She educated thousands of students. She will be profoundly missed.
Vale Helen.
- 30 of April of 2024Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 30th, 2024Approved:more
1 - National Youth Development Council (Ministry of Youth, Sports, Art and Culture);
2 - Joint operational engagement between the F-FDTL and the PNTL (Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior).
Analysed:
1 - Presentation on the Social Security System in Timor-Leste (Ministry of Social Security and Inclusion).
2 - Presentation on ongoing territorial organisation measures (Secretariat of State for Toponymy and Urban Organization Affairs). - 24 of April of 2024Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 24th, 2024Approved:more
1 - legislative authorisation on setting the age limit for the employment relationship of civil servants and administrative agents;
2 - donation of US$150,000 to the Amílcar Cabral Foundation in Cape Verde to support the organisation of the Centenary Commemorations of the birth of Amílcar Cabral;
3 - first amendment to the Special Procurement Regime for His Holiness the Pope's visit and the implementation of the 2024 General State Budget;
4 - vote of congratulations to the Portuguese people on the 50th anniversary of the Revolution of April 25th, 1974 and for the example of the peaceful reconquest of freedom and democracy;
5 - day off on April 25th. - 24 of April of 2024Timor-Leste statement on the escalation of conflicts in MyanmarTimor-Leste stands in full solidarity with the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the Escalation of Conflicts in Myanmar, issued on April 18, 2024. We share ASEAN's deep concern regarding the recent escalation of conflicts in Myanmar, particularly in the areas of Myawaddy, Kayin State, along the Myanmar-Thailand border, and in Rakhine State, resulting in the displacement of civilians.more
