Media Releases
- 17 of April of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of April 17, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of April 17, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and reviewed the presentation of the Secretariat of the Voluntary National Review (VNR) Working Group of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the presentation, the Secretariat of the Working Group submitted to the Government members for consideration the text with eleven key messages, aligned with the Eight Government’s Program and which constitute the main axis of the communication that the country intends to transmit on progress in implementation of the SDGs. The members of the Government presented recommendations to amend the final text of the key messages that will be sent to the headquarters of the United Nations until May 17, 2019. The Council of Ministers had already approved, at the meeting of February 13, 2019 , the main recommendations for VNR and during the months of February and March consultations were held with civil society organizations. The final report and key messages will be presented at the United Nations High Level Political Forum, which will take place between the 9th and the 18th of July 2019 in New York.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, Longuinhos dos Santos, presented the proposal for a Government Resolution, approved with amendments by the Council of Ministers, on the appointment of the President and Vice-President to the Executive Board of the National Institute of Sciences and Technology (INCT). In accordance with the Strategic Development Plan and the Government Program, the present diploma sets the appointment of José Cornélio Guterres to serve a four-year term as President of the Executive Council of INCT and the appointment of Afonso de Almeida to the position Vice-President of the Executive Council of INCT, for the next four years. The mission of the INCT is to promote the dissemination and promotion of culture, scientific and technological knowledge, science and technology education, as well as the availability of data and information of national interest.
The Council of Ministers reviewed the proposal presented by the Secretary of State for National Liberation Combatants, Gil da Costa Monteiro 'Oan Soru', of a memorandum of understanding between Timor-Leste and the Government of Tasmania that will allow national veterans to participate in a professional training and development program for the management and preservation of national parks, with the objective of conserving the national natural and cultural heritage, contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the communities and to promoting the development of historical and sustainable tourism. The proposal will be re-examined at a subsequent meeting following the opinion of the relevant Ministries. ENDS 
16 of April of 2019Timor-Leste completes the purchase of interests in the Greater Sunrise FieldsPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Timor-Leste completes the purchase of interests in the Greater Sunrise Fields
The Government of Timor-Leste has today, April 16, 2019, completed its purchase of ConocoPhillips' 30% interest and Shell Australia's 26.56% interest in the Greater Sunrise Fields, giving TIMOR GAP, the national oil company of Timor-Leste, a 56.56% interest in the Greater Sunrise Fields.
The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste congratulated the Parties on successfully completing the transactions, and is looking forward to further discussions with the other Greater Sunrise Joint Venture members on the swift development of the Greater Sunrise resources.
Timor-Leste's Special Representative on Petroleum Matters, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, stated: "The completion of the acquisitions marks the end of a process that commenced shortly after the signature of the Maritime Boundaries Treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste. TIMOR GAP's acquisition of this 56.56% will allow discussions to progress between the Sunrise Joint Venture and the Australian and Timor-Leste authorities on the new Greater Sunrise Production Sharing Contract that will govern the fields after the entry into force of the Treaty. It will also allow for negotiations to continue within the Sunrise Joint Venture, now with TIMOR GAP, on the development concept for the fields and the construction of the Liquefied Natural Gas Plant at Beaço, on Timor-Leste's South Coast. The Government of Timor-Leste will continue to work towards a fast development of Greater Sunrise for the benefit of all stakeholders."
The sale transaction covers ConocoPhillips' and Shell's interests in Production Sharing Contracts 03-19 and 03-20 within the Joint Petroleum Development Area created under the Timor Sea Treaty, and associated governance agreements and Retention Leases NT/RL2 and NT/RL4 issued by Australia. Once the Maritime Boundary Treaty between the two States comes into force the Greater Sunrise Fields will be included in the Greater Sunrise Special Regime Area and subject to joint exercise of jurisdiction under the new Treaty.
The Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields, collectively known as the Greater Sunrise fields, are located approximately 150 kilometers south east of Timor-Leste and 450 kilometers north west of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.
TIMOR GAP joins the continuing Greater Sunrise joint venture partners: Woodside (operator) with a 33.44% interest and Osaka Gas with 10%. ENDS- 10 of April of 2019Day Off on the 18th of AprilPresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Day Off on the 18th of April
Law no. 10/2005, of August 10, in the wording given by Law 3/2016, of May 25, establishes the days that are national holidays, the official commemorative and point tolerance dates. With regard to official commemorative dates, Article 7 of the same law states that they may be subject to point tolerance.
Among the official commemorative dates is the Holy Thursday which, each year, has a variable date. Holy Thursday is one of the solemnities that is of great importance in the Christian Community of Timor-Leste. Holy Thursday is the last day of Lent on the calendar of the Catholic religion, and this year, it corresponds to the next Thursday, April 18.
Taking into account the provisions of article 7, in paragraphs a) and b) of paragraph 2 and paragraph d) of paragraph 6 of the same article, the Government determines:
1. Point tolerance is granted on April 18, 2019, throughout the day;
2. This order covers all officials and agents of the Ministries or services of their dependents, as well as of the institutes and bodies integrated in the indirect administration of the State. END - 10 of April of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of April 10, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of April 10, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and analyzed the proposal for a resolution submitted by the Minister of Public Works, Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires, regarding changes to contracts for the provision of consulting services for the supervision of the maintenance and improvement of national roads. This deliberation refers to consulting services for the detailed engineering and supervision of work on the sections of Manatuto-Natarbora, Manatuto-Laclubar-Natarbora, Tasitolu-Tibar, Tibar-Liquiça, Tibar-Gleno, Maubara-Karimabala, Baucau-Lauten and Atabae-Mota Ain roads. The approved contractual revisions aim to adjust the work supervision service to the extensions of the deadlines, previously approved, for the completion of the work of maintenance and improvement of these sections of roads. The proposal was approved by the Council of Ministers, subject to a favorable opinion from the Ministry of Finance and after obtaining prior approval from the Accounts Tribunal.
The Council of Ministers approved the proposal of Deliberation of the Council of Ministers, presented by the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, on the sector-cooperation program between the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal and the Ministry of Solidarity Social and Inclusion of Timor-Leste for the period 2019 to 2022. The axes and priority areas established, through the analysis of the objectives and priorities agreed by the Governments of the two countries, are the "democracy, rule of law and human rights" axis, with intervention in the area of institutional capacity building, the "human development and poverty eradication" axis with activities in the area of social protection and inclusion and institutional capacity building and the "child rights and gender equality" axis through institutional capacity building.
Finally, the Council of Ministers decided to grant a tolerance day-off on April 18, Holy Thursday, the last day of Lent in the calendar of the Catholic religion, for all the officials and agents of the ministries and services dependent on them, as well as institutes and bodies within the indirect administration of the State. ENDS - 03 of April of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of April 3, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of April 3, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and heard a presentation of the company Mura, regarding CAT-HTR, an innovative technology of transformation of plastic to oil. This technology was invented by Thomas Maschmeyer, professor of chemistry at the University of Sydney in Australia. The company Mura, owned by Armstrong Energy and Licella, owns the intellectual property to use this technology. CAT-HCR uses high pressure water and high temperatures to convert plastic waste into high value products. In this way this technology allows the reduction of plastic waste in the oceans and the reduction of the problems caused by carbon dioxide emissions caused by plastic burning, besides allowing to create a source of revenue with the transformation of this waste. For Mura, the company responsible for the project, Timor-Leste is the ideal partner for the implementation of this project, due to its geographic and social characteristics. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Demétrio de Amaral de Carvalho, will discuss the terms of a memorandum of understanding between the Government of Timor-Leste and Mura, to be later submitted for analysis by the Council of Ministers with a view to beginning studies of viability and to source eventual investors.
The Acting Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the implementation plan for solid urban waste management in Dili. This plan was carried out based on Government Resolution 32/2016 of October 5 that approves the strategy for the management of solid urban waste in the city of Díli and in Decree-Law No. 2/2017 that approves the solid urban waste management system. The plan proposes the acquisition of container models for modern and efficient waste storage, waste collection vehicles, mobile equipment, balance and landfill equipment to improve the operational standard of the Tibar waste site. It also aims to improve the service of solid waste collection, with the change to a method of mechanical collection. Finally, the plan also aims at transforming the Tibar dump into a landfill that is controlled according to an integrated waste treatment strategy. The implementation plan for the management of solid urban waste in Díli presents the main benefits of improving the quality of the urban environment, improving health, reducing the risk of flooding, high efficiency in the collection and management of waste through international practices, creation of employment opportunities and the possibility of tourism growth through effective environmental management and maintenance.
The Acting Minister of State Administration also gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the implementation in Timor-Leste of the Saemaul Undong development model (SMU), created by South Korea in 1970 and which led to the economic and social development of the country. The Saemaul Undong model refers to a community development movement aimed at improving the quality of life of rural communities based on the spirit of diligence, self-help and cooperation. The implementation of the SMU in Timor-Leste could help reduce the distance between the Central Government and the communities, reduce the number of migrants from rural areas to the capital, increase opportunities at the municipal level with the use of their characteristics and potential, increase the number of available jobs and use the experience of national citizens trained in rural development.
The Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, presented the proposal for a Resolution of the Council of Ministers on the sector cooperation program between the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal and the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion of Timor-Leste for the period 2019-2022. The axes and priority areas established, through the analysis of the objectives and priorities agreed by the governments of the two countries, are the "democracy, rule of law and human rights" axis, with interventions in the institutional capacity building, the "human development and poverty eradication" axis with activities in social protection and inclusion and institutional capacity building and "child rights and gender equality" axis through institutional capacity building. This proposal will be reviewed at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers. ENDS 
27 of March of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 27, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 27, 2019
The Council of Ministers met in the Government Palace in Dili and approved the Government's Resolution on a donation to the Republic of Mozambique for support in the response to the destruction caused by Cyclone Idai, which hit the coastal city of Beira, capital of the Mozambican province of Sofala on March 14, killed more than 450 people and left more than 1,700 wounded and more than 100,000 displaced people. Given the seriousness of the situation and the historical and friendly ties between Timor-Leste and Mozambique, the Government expresses its solidarity with the people of Mozambique and approves the amount of one million US dollars to support the response to the needs caused by the passage of Idai.
The Acting Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites, presented the proposal for a Government Resolution approved by the Council of Ministers on the creation of the Interministerial Commission for Fiscal Reform and Public Finance Management. The creation of this interministerial commission intends to give new political impetus to the fiscal reform and public finance management programs initiated in the 6th Constitutional Government, reinforcing the role and involvement of the members of the Government with responsibilities in these areas, aiming that by 2023 a significant part of the necessary legislation in this area will be drawn up. In this sense, the Government reaffirms the commitment made in its Program to comprehensively reform the area of public finances, with a view to increasing State revenues, strengthening and promoting sustainability, quality, transparency and responsibilities in fiscal policy and in financial management. The commission will be chaired by the Prime Minister, who will be assisted by the Ministers responsible for Finance, Coordination of Economic Affairs, Legislative Reform, Justice, State Administration, Strategic Planning and Investment and Petroleum and Minerals.
The Council of Ministers approved the proposal for a Memorandum of Understanding, submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Ministry of Justice, concerning the lease of the land of the United States Embassy in Timor-Leste. This memorandum of understanding will define the terms of the embassy's land lease and the rules for building and altering diplomatic facilities. ENDS
26 of March of 2019Government announces Popular Consultation and INTERFET Anniversary Organising CommitteePresidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Government announces Popular Consultation and INTERFET Anniversary Organising Committee
On 30th August 2019, Timor-Leste commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Popular Consultation. On this day 20 years ago, the Timorese people exercised their right to self-determination and voted overwhelmingly for independence. This moment fulfilled the long-held dreams of the people of Timor-Leste to achieve sovereignty over their future.
20th September marks the anniversary of the deployment of the International Force East Timor or INTERFET, the peacemaking taskforce that came to Timor-Leste to address the humanitarian and security crisis from 1999–2000. INTERFET, which was led by Australia, involved 21 countries who made an important contribution at a critical time in the history of Timor-Leste.
The Government of Timor-Leste has announced the Organising Committee for the Anniversaries – an inter-ministerial team, tasked with managing and coordinating all aspects of the anniversary events.
The Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak issued Dispatch no: 04/PM/II/2019 of 18th February, in which Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, leader of the Timorese Resistance and first elected President and former Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, was appointed President of the Organising Committee.
As such, the Organising Committee has started its work on the preparations for the anniversary.
Government spokesperson Minister Agio Pereira said the 20-year anniversary is an occasion to reflect on the birth of our sovereign nation and the first two decades of our development. Led by Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, the Organising Committee will develop a comprehensive program that includes official ceremonies, exhibitions, commemorations, sporting competitions and concerts.
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To honour this historic occasion, the government is calling on anyone who may have photographs, documents, artworks or artifacts relating to this period in their personal collections. An exhibition is being developed of memorabilia from this period, drawn not only from within Timor-Leste but all over the world.
All items are to be taken to the Organising Committee Secretariat at the Maritime Boundary Office at the Palácio do Governo, where a copy or scan of original photographs can be taken for inclusion in the exhibition.
For more information about this initiative, please contact Felismina Carvalho dos Reis on +670 7742 5544 or Domingos Guterres on +670 7705 5344 or email: info@gfm.tl
20 of March of 2019Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 20, 2019Presidency of the Council of Ministersmore
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 20, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and heard the presentation of the results of the national survey on public opinion in Timor-Leste conducted between October and November 2018 by the International Republican Institute (IRI). The study reveals high levels of public interest in the national political process and presents as the main concerns of citizens the quality of roads, access to safe drinking water and unemployment.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dionisio da Costa Babo Soares, presented the proposal for a Council of Ministers' Deliberation on the Strategic Cooperation Program (PEC) between Portugal and Timor-Leste for the period from 2018 to 2022. The PEC defines as sectors of priority intervention the "Consolidation of the Rule of Law and Good Governance", "Education, Training and Culture" and "Inclusive Socioeconomic Development." The Council of Ministers approved the proposed agreement of the PEC to be signed in July 2019 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the two countries.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of Australia for the participation of national citizens in the Pacific Labor Scheme. This Australian Government program, which began in July 2018, allows workers from various nations in the Pacific region to apply for low-to medium-skilled jobs in rural Australia. The Pacific Labor Program enables Timorese citizens to acquire work knowledge and experience and, on the other hand, allows Australian employers to gain access to reliable labor. The Council of Ministers granted full powers to the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment, Julião da Silva, for the signing of this memorandum of understanding.
The Council of Ministers analyzed alternatives and possible agreements for the international air connections presented by the Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva, in order to standardize the air transport service in the country. In this regard, the Minister of Transport and Communications was given full powers to sign an Agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of Malaysia for air transport services between the two countries. ENDS
