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The Public Finance Committee (Committee C) of the National Parliament will hold the “2027 Budget Outlook” seminar tomorrow, October 14th, 2026, at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, Ministry of Finance, in Dili. The seminar forms part of the review process for the Draft Law on the 2027 General State Budget (GSB) and will feature participation by members of the Government, Members of Parliament, representatives of financial oversight and control bodies, financial institutions, civil society, development partners, and international organisations.
The seminar aims to promote analysis and debate on the State’s economic and financial situation and the outlook for 2027, bringing together contributions on key economic and budgetary trends, public finance challenges, and the preparation and execution of the GSB.
The opening session will begin at 9:15 a.m., with interventions from the Chair of Committee C, Cedelizia Faria dos Santos, and the President of the National Parliament, Maria Fernanda Lay.
Government participation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with an address by Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and Minister of Tourism and Environment. This will be followed by statements from Santina José Rodrigues Viegas Cardoso, the Minister of Finance, and Gastão Francisco de Sousa, the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, accompanied by representatives from the Infrastructure Fund Administration Council (CAFI – acronym in Portuguese) and the National Development Agency (ADN – acronym in Portuguese).
During the afternoon, participants will include the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, accompanied by representatives of the National Petroleum Authority (ANP – acronym in Portuguese), the National Minerals Authority (ANM – acronym in Portuguese), TIMOR GAP, and the Institute of Geosciences of Timor-Leste (IGTL – acronym in Portuguese), as well as the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Verónica das Dores, accompanied by representatives of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS – acronym in Portuguese) and the Social Security Reserve Fund (FRSS – acronym in Portuguese).
The programme also includes interventions by the Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, Hélder Lopes; the President of the Court of Appeal, Afonso Carmona, accompanied by the Chamber of Accounts; the President of the Authority of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cússe Ambeno; and representatives from the World Bank and the organisation Lao Hamutuk.
Among the scheduled topics are the macroeconomic outlook for 2027, the evolution of public revenues, the structure and priorities of public expenditure, deficit financing and public debt, the sustainability of public finances, petroleum revenues and the Petroleum Fund, budget execution and the quality of public expenditure, and major fiscal risks for the 2027–2030 period.
The seminar will also address the financial execution and sustainability of the Social Security system, as well as investment management, financial risks, and the sustainability of the Social Security Reserve Fund. The programme includes question-and-answer sessions and participant discussions.
Committee C expects that the contributions presented at the seminar will support the review of the Draft Law on the 2027 GSB and help identify challenges and risks for consideration during the parliamentary appraisal process.
The seminar forms part of the timetable for considering the GSB law proposal for 2027, which the Government submitted to the National Parliament on October 1st. The law proposal was referred to the standing specialist committees and to Committee C on October 5th. Hearings before the standing specialist committees will take place between October 13th and 23rd, with the Committee C Report and Opinion due to be finalised on November 4th. This will be followed by consideration and a vote on the draft in plenary, both in general terms and in detail, and by the final overall vote.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, represented the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) at the Symposium “CPLP 30 Years – A Community of Language and Future”, held on October 8th, 2026, at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon, as part of the programme of initiatives marking the organisation’s 30th anniversary throughout the year.
Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, the Symposium brought together government representatives and figures associated with the political, diplomatic, and cultural path of the CPLP. The opening session featured interventions by the President of the Portuguese Republic, António José Seguro; the Executive Secretary of the CPLP, Maria de Fátima Jardim; and Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, representing the organisation’s Presidency.
In his address, the Minister advocated a more cohesive, participatory CPLP that is closer to its citizens, particularly young people, and capable of translating its principles into concrete results. He also reaffirmed the Timorese Presidency’s commitment to peace, democracy, human rights, sovereignty, and cooperation within the framework of the theme “The Consolidation of the Democratic Rule of Law and the Challenges of the CPLP”.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas recalled Timor-Leste’s journey within the Lusophone space, from the participation of Timorese Resistance representatives in the founding of the CPLP in 1996 to Timor-Leste’s accession as an independent State in 2002. In this context, he highlighted the solidarity of the Community’s nations with Timor-Leste’s struggle for self-determination and noted that the country is currently exercising the CPLP’s Pro Tempore Presidency for the second time.
The Symposium programme featured three panels on the CPLP’s three decades of political and diplomatic development, the Portuguese language as a global asset, and the Community’s future amid current international challenges. The initiative concluded with the issue of commemorative postal stationery marking the CPLP’s 30th anniversary and a closing session chaired by Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.
During his visit to Portugal, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas also met on October 9th with the National Director of the Portuguese Public Security Police, Superintendent Luís Carrilho, to discuss issues related to the mobility of Timorese citizens.
The following day, as Acting President of the CPLP Council of Ministers, Bendito dos Santos Freitas attended the 10th Lusofonia Awards Gala at Casino Estoril as part of the programme marking the CPLP’s 30th anniversary. During the ceremony, he posthumously presented the 2026 Lusophone Excellence Award to the former President of the Republic of Timor-Leste, Francisco Guterres “Lu-Olo”, in recognition of his career and contributions to public service.
The award was accepted by the former Head of State’s widow, Cidália Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres, who was accompanied by her sons, Aldino Nobre Guterres and Felezito Samora Guterres.
On October 9th, 2026, in Bangkok, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, met Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, to advance the finalisation of the Air Services Agreement between the two countries and to discuss the conditions for establishing direct flights between Dili and Bangkok.
The meeting took place as part of the official visit of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão to Thailand and followed up on understandings reached between the Heads of Government of both countries on strengthening air connectivity.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed to expedite the necessary procedures to finalise the Air Services Agreement. Timor-Leste has completed all internal procedures and is ready to proceed with signing, while Thailand is still completing the required formalities.
Minister Miguel Manetelu stated that “the Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Transport and Communications, has completed all internal procedures and is ready to sign the agreement, in accordance with the requirements set by Thailand.”
The agreement will establish the framework for air links between the two countries, aimed at facilitating the movement of passengers and cargo and supporting trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people contacts between Timor-Leste and Thailand.
Authorities from both countries will be able to begin technical discussions and operational preparations before the formal signing of the agreement. The eventual launch of a direct route between Dili and Bangkok will also depend on a commercial assessment and the decision of the airline interested in operating the service.
The Air Services Agreement was initialled by the civil aviation authorities of Timor-Leste and Thailand in April 2025. The text provides for airlines from both countries to operate services between Timor-Leste and Thailand, including through code-sharing agreements.
The agreement is scheduled to be formally signed in November or December 2026, on the sidelines of an ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting in the Philippines.
During the meeting, participants also discussed cooperation in maritime and land transport, as well as human resource development through vocational training, exchange of experience, and technical capacity building. In civil aviation, the possibility of expanding Timor-Leste’s participation in regional programmes supported by the Asia and Pacific Office of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, headquartered in Bangkok, was examined.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport congratulated Timor-Leste on its accession to ASEAN. He expressed his country’s support for Timorese participation in regional transport cooperation mechanisms to strengthen connectivity among Member States.
The conclusion of the Air Services Agreement will build on bilateral cooperation in the transport sector and establish the framework for direct air links between Timor-Leste and Thailand.
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão concluded his visit to Thailand, which took place from October 4th to 10th, 2026, and included an official programme on October 9th and 10th, at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The talks between the two Heads of Government resulted in new commitments to cooperation in trade and investment, food security, transport, development cooperation, education, defence, and security, within the new context of bilateral relations following Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
This was the first official visit to Thailand by a Prime Minister of Timor-Leste since 2013 and the first since the country joined ASEAN in October 2025. The visit also preceded the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Timor-Leste and Thailand, to be marked in 2027.
On October 9th, Xanana Gusmão was received by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at Government House in Bangkok for an official welcome ceremony, followed by bilateral talks, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, a joint press conference, and an official luncheon.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries, establishes a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism to monitor cooperation between Timor-Leste and Thailand, follow up on the outcomes of the visit, and identify new areas for joint work. The first round of consultations is expected to be held in Timor-Leste.
In the economic sector, the two Governments agreed to promote trade and investment and to strengthen ties between the private sectors of both countries. They identified agriculture and food processing, energy, infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, and the blue economy as areas with potential for greater cooperation and investment.
On food security, Thailand expressed its willingness to continue supporting Timor-Leste, and the two countries agreed to begin negotiations to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding on Rice Trade. Cooperation is also expected to cover trade in agricultural products, food processing, technical cooperation, and capacity building.
The two Heads of Government also agreed to accelerate the conclusion of the Air Services Agreement between Timor-Leste and Thailand to create the necessary conditions for establishing direct air links between the two countries. Improved air connectivity is expected to support economic relations, tourism, and people-to-people contacts.
On development cooperation, the parties agreed to hold the fourth Technical Cooperation Meeting later this year in Timor-Leste to finalise and adopt the 2026–2028 Triennial Development Cooperation Programme. The programme is expected to focus on sustainable agriculture, community development, public health and maternal healthcare, human resource development, and capacity building related to ASEAN.
The two Governments also agreed to accelerate the finalisation of two Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation in education and higher education, and to strengthen technical and vocational training in line with labour market needs.
During the talks, the parties also noted progress in establishing two maternal and child health centres in Timor-Leste as part of a project involving Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA), Timor-Leste’s Ministries of Finance and Health, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão expressed gratitude for Thailand’s support in training Timorese human resources. Since 2001, more than 800 scholarships and training opportunities have been made available to civil servants and students from Timor-Leste, worth approximately US$4 million.
In defence and security, the two countries agreed to strengthen military exchanges, training, capacity-building, and information sharing, and to cooperate to combat online fraud and other forms of transnational crime. A visit to Timor-Leste by the Chief of the Thai Defence Forces is also planned.
Thailand also agreed to join the Core Group of Strategic Partners for the INTERFET Memorial project and expressed its willingness to contribute archives, photographs, and testimonies from Thai military personnel who served in Timor-Leste. This cooperation builds on the ties established during Thailand’s participation in international operations in Timor-Leste from 1999.
At the regional level, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated Thailand’s support for Timor-Leste’s integration into the ASEAN Community and for strengthening national capacities, including preparations for a potential Timorese ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029. The two Heads of Government also reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN centrality and to implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
At the conclusion of the official programme on October 9th, Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida received Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão in audience at Dusit Palace in Bangkok.
The visit to Thailand also included additional activities before the official programme. On October 6th and 7th, the Prime Minister attended a seminar on the prudent and sustainable management of the Petroleum Fund, organised by the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL), which examined the Fund’s sustainability alongside fiscal and investment strategies.
On October 8th, the Head of Government met with executives from Thai Beverage Public Company Limited and the TCC Group to explore investment and economic cooperation opportunities, particularly in local production, tourism, retail, real estate, and logistics. Following the visit, Xanana Gusmão invited Thai business leaders to visit Timor-Leste to assess investment opportunities firsthand and to establish direct contacts with the Timorese private sector.
On the same day, the Prime Minister met with former Thai military personnel and officers who had participated in international missions in Timor-Leste, in a meeting dedicated to the historical relationship between the two countries and to Thailand’s contribution to peacekeeping and consolidation.
At the end of the visit, the Thai Prime Minister expressed interest in visiting Timor-Leste. Xanana Gusmão announced that he would send an official invitation to his counterpart to visit Timor-Leste and participate in the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence on May 20th, 2027.
The Prime Minister and the delegation returned to Dili on October 11th, after concluding their visit to Thailand.
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