Prime Minister concludes a series of visits to municipalities with a visit to Viqueque as part of local government preparations
On March 27th and 28th, 2026, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão made a working visit to the municipality of Viqueque, marking the conclusion of his nationwide tour of municipalities as part of preparations for the administrative decentralisation and local government policy scheduled for 2027. 
The visit was part of the programme “Direct Observation of Municipal Services Based on the Results of the Assessment of Minimum Standards,” designed to evaluate the functioning of municipal services and the institutional capacity of local governments to assume new responsibilities within the framework of decentralisation.
During the visit, the Prime Minister participated in a dialogue session with local officials, municipal staff, civil society representatives, and members of the public. At the session, the results of the Minimum Standards Assessment were presented, and areas needing improvement were identified, particularly in financial management, planning, coordination, and oversight.
At the meeting, the Head of the Government stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability as essential for local development and the successful realisation of the decentralisation process. He also urged the involvement of communities, especially young people, in devising solutions for the municipality.
The Head of the Government was accompanied by several members of the Executive, including the Minister of State Administration—who is directly responsible for promoting and overseeing administrative decentralisation and the establishment of local government bodies and services—as well as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
This visit marks the conclusion of the three-phase series of visits to municipalities undertaken by the Prime Minister since February 2026, as part of the institutional preparations for implementing local government, in accordance with Law No. 3/2016 of September 14th, on Local Government and Administrative Decentralisation.
The Government is continuing the technical and institutional work necessary to establish the conditions for transferring powers from the central to the local level, to promote the public’s direct participation in governance and development.
