Government inaugurates a One-Stop Shop in the Municipality of Covalima
On December 11th, 2025, the 9th Constitutional Government inaugurated the One-Stop Shop of the Municipality of Covalima in a ceremony chaired by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, with the participation of the Vice Minister for Institutional Strengthening, Paulo Manuel da Silva dos Remédios, the Secretary of State for Local Development, Mateus W. dos Santos Tallo, the Secretary of State for Toponymy and Urban Organisation, Germano Santa Brites Dias, and a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 
As part of promoting administrative decentralisation and devolution, the One-Stop Shop is a public service that aims to bring the public administration closer to people and facilitate citizens' interaction with government services. This model allows access to information, administrative procedures, and requests for various public services to be concentrated in a single centre at the local level, helping to simplify procedures, save time and costs for citizens, enhance transparency, and improve service quality.
With the opening of the Covalima One-Stop Shop, there are now eight One-Stop Shops operating in the country, located in the municipalities of Manatuto, Baucau, Dili, Liquiçá, Aileu, Manufahi, in the Administrative Authority of Ataúro, and now in Covalima. The inauguration of the One-Stop Shop in the Special Administrative Region of Oé-Cusse Ambeno is also planned in the short term, along with new shops in the municipalities of Viqueque, Lautém, Ainaro, Ermera, and Bobonaro.
The establishment of One-Stop Shops is part of the decentralisation strategy of the 9th Constitutional Government, aiming to bring public services closer to citizens, reduce bureaucracy, enhance transparency, and boost confidence in public administration.
During the ceremony, the Minister of State Administration emphasised the importance of conserving and effectively utilising the space, calling for cooperation between local authorities and the community to provide more accessible and prompt public services for the people of Covalima.
The initiative is promoted by the Ministry of State Administration and supported by the UNDP. During the implementation phase, the Directorate-General for Simplification, Modernisation, and Local Administration worked in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, through the Directorate-General for Registration and Notary Services, to provide services such as identity cards, passports, and criminal records, as well as with the Ministry of Transport and Communications, through TIC Timor and the National Directorate of Communications Infrastructure, to ensure service connectivity.
The Covalima One-Stop Shop is staffed by five employees, including a coordinator, two technicians, a driver, and a cleaner.
The ceremony was also attended by officials from the Ministry of State Administration, municipal and administrative authorities, representatives of the security forces, community leaders, veterans, and members of the local community.
