The Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel, attended the Australia–ASEAN Business Forum 2026 on September 29th and 30th, 2026 at the Adelaide Convention Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The Vice-Minister delivered a keynote address and shared perspectives on the theme “Investing in ASEAN: Opportunities for the Next Decade” at a meeting that brought together government and business representatives from Australia and the ASEAN region.
The Forum brought together government representatives, business leaders, and other stakeholders from Australia and the ASEAN Member States to promote economic relations, identify trade and investment opportunities, and foster partnerships between the two regions.
The 2026 edition took place under the theme “Deepening Economic Integration Between Australia and ASEAN in a Changing Global Landscape” and focused discussions on areas including trade and investment, energy security and transition, the digital economy, artificial intelligence and innovation, food security and agribusiness, human capital and workforce development, and economic integration between Australia and ASEAN.
Vice-Minister Milena Rangel was among the Forum’s keynote speakers, alongside the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn, government representatives from Australia and ASEAN Member States, and business sector leaders.
At the opening session, the ASEAN Secretary-General highlighted the strengthening of cooperation between ASEAN and Australia across trade and investment, supply chain resilience, energy transition, digital transformation, skills development, and private sector participation.
The Australia–ASEAN Business Forum serves as a platform for public- and private-sector dialogue to promote contacts, trade, investment, and business relations between Australia and ASEAN countries. This year’s edition sought to identify opportunities for greater economic collaboration and for developing long-term partnerships.
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On October 1st, 2026, at the Ministry of Finance in Dili, the Government launched the National Medium-Term Plan (PMP – acronym in Portuguese) 2027–2030 and the Monitoring Progress Report for the Strategic Development Plan (PED – acronym in Portuguese) 2011–2024. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão presided over the ceremony, which marked the start of the final phase of implementing the 2011–2030 PED, including defining development priorities and targets for the next four years.
Approved by the Council of Ministers on September 2nd, the 2027–2030 PMP sets out ten national priorities and organises Government action around four pillars: economic diversification; infrastructure; social and human capital development; and institutional development. The national priorities will be directly monitored by the Council of Ministers and will guide annual budgets.
At the ceremony, the Prime Minister stated that the two documents constitute “a national moment of accountability and the renewal of a political commitment” and represent “a pact: the guarantee that the vision of 2011 remains alive and that the final phase of the Strategic Development Plan will be carried through to completion with discipline and unity of purpose.”
The Report assessed 199 short- and medium-term targets across the main sectors of the PED. Of these, 106 (53.3%) were completed or had reached an advanced stage of implementation, 43% were partially implemented, and around 3% showed limited implementation.
Among the results achieved, improvements in social indicators and infrastructure stand out. Childhood vaccination reached 98%, and the national literacy rate reached 72.4%. Electricity reaches more than 99% of cities and hamlets; roads have been built to improve connections between communities; Tibar Bay Port is now operational; the modernisation of the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport is underway; and the Timor-Leste Submarine Cable has established a direct national connection to international digital networks.
The Report also identifies areas where results remain below the defined objectives. Despite the increase in registered businesses, improvements in agricultural productivity, and the creation of 14,400 jobs in the formal private sector between 2021 and 2024, economic growth has not yet reached the pace required to generate sufficient employment and opportunities.
“There are still too many young Timorese struggling to find work. Too much economic activity remains dependent on the State. And much of what we consume is imported rather than produced in Timor-Leste,” stated the Prime Minister, who identified the building of “a strong and productive economy” as the next phase of national development.
In this regard, the PMP aims to achieve annual non-oil GDP growth of 6% by 2030 and 7.5% thereafter, create between 5,000 and 7,000 new formal private-sector jobs per year, and increase the private sector’s share of total investment by 15 to 20 percentage points of non-oil GDP.
The Plan includes measures to expand access to finance, such as a credit guarantee scheme and a blended finance mechanism, which are designed to generate US$40 million in additional loans for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Public-private partnerships are also planned in the housing, digital infrastructure, and renewable energy sectors, along with the creation of the National Development Bank.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the private sector’s role in this new phase of development: “We now need Timorese businesses to produce more, invest more, and employ more people. We also need responsible foreign investment that brings capital, skills, and access to markets.”
Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN and the World Trade Organisation expands Timorese companies’ access to markets, investment, education, and skills. However, the Prime Minister stressed that “accession alone will not transform our economy”, emphasising the need to develop companies capable of competing, producing goods and services, and creating jobs in Timor-Leste.
Human capital development is also a PMP intervention area, achieved through investment in education, health, and vocational skills. The Plan also establishes that development must encompass women, persons with disabilities, youth, and families in rural communities.
In his speech, the Prime Minister framed these priorities as part of the objective to transform national resources into a more productive economic base. “Our task is to convert that wealth into a productive economy, rather than allowing our economy to depend on spending from the Fund,” he stated, adding that “sovereignty is not a slogan. It requires the economic strength necessary to make our own decisions in our own interest. Sovereignty without economic strength remains incomplete.”
The PMP will be linked to the annual budget cycle from 2027 onwards and will strengthen monitoring and inter-ministerial coordination. The Ministry of Planning and Strategic Investment will work with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the Plan’s priorities are integrated into the budgetary process.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the Plan’s execution must be judged by its concrete results for the population, stating that “the Timorese people will not evaluate the success of this Plan by the number of targets presented in its tables. They will evaluate it by the changes that occur in their lives.”
The ceremony, held under the theme “Strengthening Strategic Planning for Sustainable and Inclusive Development”, was attended by members of the Government and the National Parliament, representatives of the diplomatic corps, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and the academic community.
Speech by H. E. the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, Ministry of Finance
1 October 2026
The Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal, inaugurated the new water supply system for the Administrative Post of Laleia in Manatuto Municipality on September 26th, 2026. The system is designed to serve approximately 2,700 people across 450 households, as well as various public and community institutions.
The Vice-Minister of Finance, Regina de Jesus Sousa; the Secretary of State for Electricity, Water and Sanitation, Santos Noronha; the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Bee Timor-Leste, EP (BTL, EP), Gustavo da Cruz; the President of the Manatuto Municipal Authority, Luís Inácio Henrique Fernandes; and representatives of local authorities, community leaders, veterans, and members of the community attended the ceremony.
The new system serves the villages of Lifau and Haturalan and the hamlets of Uma-Rentau, Lenao, Uma-Klalan, Ralan, Weboro, and Uma-Iuk. In addition to household connections, the network provides water to local institutions and facilities, including the health centre, schools, the National Police of Timor-Leste station in Laleia, and the church.
The system, representing a total investment of US$764,900, uses groundwater extracted by drilling, with a capacity of 20 litres per second, and is divided into four supply zones. The infrastructure comprises 1.7 kilometres of transmission pipeline and 19.3 kilometres of distribution network.
Three reservoirs were also installed—one with a capacity of 409 cubic metres and two with a capacity of 48 cubic metres each—as well as 450 metres of household connections.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Public Works emphasised the importance of access to clean water for public health and for improving the population’s living conditions, stating that “when there is no water, it can cause disease, and water that is not clean can also cause disease. When we lack water, our bodies and our health are also affected. That is why water is so important.”
The inauguration took place as part of the celebrations marking the sixth anniversary of Bee Timor-Leste, EP, established by Decree-Law No. 41/2020 of September 25th, to ensure the administration of public water supply and basic sanitation services.
The President of BTL, EP, Gustavo da Cruz, noted that the new system addresses the difficulties in accessing water resources experienced in Laleia and called for cooperation between the community and the authorities to preserve the installed infrastructure.
The ceremony concluded with the symbolic inauguration of the system and a tour of the water storage and distribution facilities.
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The Government, through the Ministries of Education, Public Works, Planning and Strategic Investment, and Finance, conducted a visit on September 28th, 2026, to the 12 de Outubro Filial Basic School (EBF) in Tasitolu, Dili, to monitor the construction of nine new classrooms and four toilet facilities using Block Solutions modular technology.
The visit was led by the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, who was accompanied by the Ministers of Public Works, Samuel Marçal; of Planning and Strategic Investment, Gastão Francisco de Sousa; and the Vice-Minister of Finance, Regina de Jesus de Sousa.
This intervention is a pilot project designed to evaluate the application of this construction system in Timor-Leste as an alternative to address the shortage of classrooms and the time and cost challenges of conventional construction, particularly in areas where access and the transport of materials pose significant challenges.
Block Solutions technology uses a modular system of interlocking blocks made from recycled materials, reducing the need to use and transport conventional building materials and accelerating construction.
The project at EBF 12 de Outubro has a budget of US$27,000 and an estimated completion timeline of two months to build nine classrooms and four toilet facilities.
During the visit, the Minister of Education emphasised the need to increase the number of classrooms, given the condition of some existing infrastructure and the number of students.
“We are currently building nine classrooms at EBF 12 de Outubro, in Tasitolu. We all know that many classrooms are already damaged, and the number of students is very high,” said Dulce de Jesus Soares.
The Minister highlighted the projected timeline for completing the project and the possibility that this solution could enable a faster response to the school’s needs.
“With [Block Solutions’] technology, we can resolve the issue in just two months and have nine high-quality classrooms ready for students to use,” she added.
Dulce de Jesus Soares also explained that construction using conventional methods can take between six months and a year and incur additional costs for transporting sand, stone, and other materials, especially to locations where access is more difficult.
With this system, “we can accelerate construction and respond quickly to the school’s needs. It is an innovative solution,” the Minister emphasised.
The Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal, stated that his Ministry will continue to provide technical support for the project to ensure compliance with safety and structural integrity requirements for the new infrastructure, including its suitability for local climatic conditions.
The Vice-Minister of Finance, Regina de Jesus de Sousa, highlighted the relationship between the US$27,000 investment and the planned infrastructure—nine classrooms and four toilet facilities—compared with the costs of conventional construction methods.
The experience at EBF 12 de Outubro will enable an evaluation of the use of this technology in other schools with similar needs, particularly in areas where access and the transport of conventional building materials pose greater challenges.
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The Government of Timor-Leste and the Government of the Republic of Cuba signed, on September 29th, 2026, in Dili, a declaration extending the validity of the Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Health—signed in Havana on September 22nd, 2022—for an additional year.
The declaration was signed by the Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening of Health, José dos Reis Magno, in his capacity as Acting Minister of Health, and by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Timor-Leste, Grisel Alina Aldama Inniss, thereby enabling the continuation of cooperation in the areas of medical assistance, specialised training, human resources development, knowledge transfer, and the strengthening of health services.
Cooperation between Timor-Leste and Cuba in the health sector dates back to 2003, following a meeting between the two countries’ leaders, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and Fidel Castro, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since then, this cooperation has included the deployment of Cuban health professionals to Timor-Leste and the training of Timorese doctors and other health professionals. The programme, initially established to train 1,000 Timorese doctors, has exceeded that goal, having contributed to the training of more than 1,500 doctors, according to data recently presented by the Cuban mission in Timor-Leste.
The presence of Cuban doctors and nurses in Timor-Leste has contributed to the provision of healthcare to the population—including primary healthcare and hospital services—and to the sharing of knowledge and experience with Timorese health professionals.
Specialised training remains a key area of this cooperation. In September of this year, 26 Timorese health professionals returned to the country after completing specialised training in Cuba, including 24 doctors and two nurses. The training covered fields such as paediatrics, radiology, oncology, cardiology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, pathological anatomy, rehabilitation medicine, and emergency and intensive care.
These professionals have been integrated into various National Health Service facilities, including the Guido Valadares National Hospital and referral hospitals in the municipalities, to strengthen the country’s capacity to provide specialised care and to support the transfer of knowledge among health professionals.
The Ambassador also highlighted Cuba’s readiness to continue training medical specialists and to develop this aspect of cooperation in Timor-Leste further.
The ceremony was also attended by the National Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, officials from the Office of Health Policy, Planning, Partnership, and Development, and, on the Cuban side, the Coordinator of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Timor-Leste.
The extension of the Agreement preserves the institutional framework for ongoing bilateral cooperation in the health sector, with a focus on medical assistance, specialised training, and the development of healthcare human resources.
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