Government Inaugurates One-Stop Shop in Ataúro and Reinforces Accessibility to Public Services
On March 14th, 2025, the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, inaugurated the One-Stop Shop building at the Ataúro Administrative Authority, to strengthen accessibility to public services on Ataúro Island. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Timor-Leste, Katyna Argueta, among other government and diplomatic entities. 
The One Stop Shop allows citizens to access public information and services in one place, thus promoting decentralization, reducing bureaucracy and increasing transparency in public administration. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of this service by saying that “digitalization makes it possible to provide effective assistance to the community. The Ataúro structure, from the chiefs of the village to hamlet chiefs, must ensure that this One-Stop Shop is fully utilized. This is an opportunity to bring state institutions closer to the people and strengthen transparency.” 
The Minister of State Administration pointed out that, under the agreement with the UNDP, the government is committed to completing the installation of the One Stop Shop in all the municipalities by the end of the year, including the unit in Dili, which will be inaugurated soon. He also explained that the construction of the Ataúro One-Stop Shop was financed by the Ataúro Special Development Fund (FEDA). 
The government is also investing in improving digital access to public services. In collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of State Administration has set up an online service line in 459 sucos, with a pilot project in Makadade. This system allows citizens to use their cell phones to contact the administration, obtain information and register official documents, facilitating access to services such as passports, identity cards and certificates. 
During the inauguration, the Minister of Justice stressed that “the implementation of this service is a source of pride, as part of the ongoing work to guarantee the quality of public services and the benefits for citizens”. He added that the digital system adopted will allow essential documents to be processed quickly and called on the Ataúro Municipal Authority to ensure the maintenance of the building. 
The Ataúro One-Stop Shop has five employees, including a coordinator, two administrative technicians, a driver and a cleaner.
The ceremony was also attended by the Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister for Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the Vice Ministers for State Administration and Justice, the ambassadors of Indonesia, Australia and the European Union, the UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste, representatives of civil society, the security forces, community leaders and members of the local population. 
On the same day, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the new office of the Ataúro Special Development Fund (FEDA), an entity created to finance programs and projects that promote socio-economic development and environmental sustainability in the region. During the inauguration, the Prime Minister called on the institution's Executive Director, together with his team, to prioritize the study of key infrastructures for the island's development. 
The Prime Minister's visit to Ataúro also included the inauguration of the new school canteen at the Filial Beloi Primary School. The space, built with an investment of 245,000 dollars financed by the Municipal Integrated Development Program (PDIM), aims to support the school lunch program and guarantee a suitable environment for feeding the students. 
