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On April 8^th, 2026, the Government, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), distributed agricultural equipment to 28 farmer groups at the Uatulari Administrative Post in the municipality of Viqueque to increase production and strengthen food security. 

The initiative involved distributing 28 rotary tillers and 28 rice threshers to farmers in eight villages across the region. Each group received a set of equipment to support local agricultural activities and improve efficiency in soil preparation and post-harvest processing.

The initiative forms part of a two-year pilot programme developed jointly by the National Council for Food Sovereignty, Food Security, and Nutrition in Timor-Leste (CONSSANTL – acronym in Portuguese) and the FAO, covering the municipalities of Covalima and Viqueque, as part of the food systems transformation project funded by the United Nations Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund.

During the ceremony in the village of Afaloikai, the Chief of Staff to the Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs, Arantes Isac Sarmento, emphasised the importance of boosting agricultural production as the foundation of food sovereignty and highlighted the collaborative efforts of various institutions in identifying beneficiaries and implementing the programme.

“Timor-Leste is a country of hardworking people. Independence was achieved through hard work, and it is in that same spirit that we must continue to work the land to ensure our own food production and reduce our dependence on foreign sources,” he said.

The official noted that Uatulari was once one of the country’s main agricultural production areas and called for the responsible use of the equipment now being delivered to increase productivity. According to the data presented, the region has approximately 4,000 hectares of farmland, of which about 300 hectares are currently under cultivation.

As part of the same initiative, the FAO also provided four motorcycles to technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forests to support project implementation and field activity monitoring.

Representatives from CONSSANTL, the FAO in Timor-Leste, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, and the National Police of Timor-Leste, along with local authorities, community leaders, and beneficiary groups, attended the ceremony.

The delivery of this equipment directly benefited approximately 280 farmers and forms part of the Government’s efforts to boost agricultural production and promote food security in the country.

The Government, through the Office of Support for Civil Society, represented by Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs Mariano Assanami Sabino, and the Timorese Episcopal Conference (CET), represented by the Pro-President of the CET and Bishop of the Diocese of Maliana, Dom Norberto do Amaral, formally signed an annual grant agreement at a ceremony held on April 8^th, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili. 

The agreement provides for the allocation of a public grant totalling US$15 million for the 2026 fiscal year. The funding is intended to support activities in education (40%), social services (30%), church government (20%), and grant management (10%).

In his remarks, Bishop Norberto do Amaral stated that “this annual event is not merely an administrative formality; it is a living symbol of a strategic partnership between the State and the Church, united by an unwavering commitment to the integral development of the Timorese people.” He also expressed the hope that “this instrument of collaboration will strengthen the relationship between the Church and the State, based on working for the common good”, and noted that the goal “is to form citizens of integrity and future leaders capable of transforming our society.”

This agreement is entered into pursuant to the Concordat signed on August 14^th, 2015, between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Holy See, which establishes the legal framework for bilateral relations between the two States, and the Framework Agreement signed on June 16^th, 2017, between the government and the CET. These agreements provide for an annual contribution, subject to the government’s financial availability, to support the Catholic Church’s social, educational, and ecclesiastical governance activities. The amount and terms of the grant are set annually by specific agreements between the Government and the Timorese Episcopal Conference.

The Vice Prime Minister noted that the Government’s support reflects its commitment to human and social development, with a particular focus on education and on the role of religious institutions in shaping citizens and future leaders.

Archbishop of Dili and President of CET, Virgílio Cardeal do Carmo da Silva; Bishop of Baucau and Secretary-General of CET, Leandro Maria Alves; Chargé d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Timor-Leste, Monsignor Marcel Smejkal; the Coordinator of the Civil Society Support Office, Joaquim Freitas; and other religious representatives and guests attended the ceremony.

O Secretariado Executivo da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa pretende contratar um/a Diretor de Ação Cultural e Língua Portuguesa para exercer funções nas instalações da sua Sede, em Lisboa. O Diretor de Ação Cultural e Língua Portuguesa é responsável, sob a orientação do Diretor Geral, pelo acompanhamento de programas, projetos e ações no contexto da CPLP, nas áreas da cultura, língua portuguesa, educação, ensino superior, ciência e tecnologia e pela coordenação, execução, e monitorização de ações no âmbito de políticas públicas em diferentes domínios relacionados com cultura, promoção e difusão da língua portuguesa.

Serão consideradas as candidaturas que derem entrada no SECPLP até às 17H00 (horário UTC) de 07 de maio de 2026. Candidaturas recebidas após as 17H00 (UTC) do dia 07 de maio de 2026 serão desqualificadas.

 mais informações em:

https://www.cplp.org/noticias/noticias-detalhe/?id=23946

 

O Secretariado Executivo da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa pretende contratar um/a Auditor Interno para exercer funções nas instalações da sua Sede, em Lisboa. O Auditor Interno reporta diretamente à Secretária Executiva, para garantir a funcionalidade, integridade e confiabilidade dos controles internos dos recursos afetos ao Secretariado Executivo da CPLP.

Serão consideradas as candidaturas que derem entrada no SECPLP até às 17H00 (horário UTC) de 07 de maio de 2026. Candidaturas recebidas após as 17H00 (UTC) do dia 07 de maio de 2026 serão desqualificadas.

mais informação em:

https://www.cplp.org/noticias/noticias-detalhe/?id=23933

O Secretariado Executivo da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa pretende contratar um/a Técnico/a para o Gabinete da Secretária Executiva, para exercer funções nas instalações da sua Sede, em Lisboa. Sob supervisão do Chefe do Gabinete, terá responsabilidades no apoio técnico e administrativo à organização, realização e acompanhamento de reuniões estatutárias e outra tipologia de reuniões, na elaboração de relatórios, sínteses e seguimento, compilação, sistematização e organização de processos e desenvolvimento de diligências necessárias à implementação e monitorização dos ditos processos, atuando com critérios de transparência e boa governação.

Serão consideradas as candidaturas que derem entrada no SECPLP até às 17H00 (horário UTC) de 07 de maio de 2026. Candidaturas recebidas após as 17H00 (UTC) do dia 07 de maio de 2026 serão desqualificadas.

 mais informações em:

https://www.cplp.org/noticias/noticias-detalhe/?id=23945

 

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Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 8th, 2026

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the architectural design for the new Dili Convention Centre, following a review of the architectural proposals presented by Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay. This landmark project is planned to host ASEAN meetings during Timor-Leste’s presidency in 2029, including the summit of Heads of State and Government, as well as other large-scale events.

The new convention centre will be constructed in the old port area, along the shore of Dili Bay. It will include a main building with conference rooms, auditoriums, and exhibition halls, as well as complementary leisure and tourism facilities, such as a pedestrian promenade along the pier, an aquarium, and an entertainment and retail zone.

***

Also, at the proposal of Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution appointing Duílio Marino Gusmão Araújo da Silva as Executive Director of the Investment and Export Promotion Agency of Timor-Leste, IP, known as TradeInvest Timor-Leste.

The appointment is based on technical competence and demonstrated qualifications for the position and is for a three-year term on a full-time basis. Duílio Marino Gusmão Araújo da Silva has been with TradeInvest Timor-Leste since 2019, serving as Deputy Director, having previously held the positions of Director of Export Promotion, Manager of Export Promotion, and Manager of External Relations and Marketing.

***

The Council of Ministers also approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, concerning the Government’s general policy guidelines on the administrative division of the territory and the recognition of villages (sucos) and hamlets (aldeias).

The primary objective of this Government Resolution is to ensure the stability of the territory’s administrative division, to guarantee territorial cohesion, the ongoing provision of public services to the population, and proper preparation for the 2027 presidential election.

Accordingly, the Government has decided not to establish new Administrative Posts or recognise new villages, given the potential impact that such changes could have on the organisation of the 2027 elections. The Government Resolution also stipulates that all members of each hamlet within the village must complete the Family Form to enhance mechanisms for identifying and organising local communities, as well as to ensure compliance with the guidelines of the respective village chiefs.

***

Following a presentation by Vice Minister of Finance Regina de Jesus, the Council of Ministers decided to authorise the Minister of Finance to sign two grant agreements with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for projects on Forest Restoration Capacity Development and Sustainable Management in Timor-Leste (2026–2033), and the Integrated Program on Nutrition and Food Security, School Feeding, Food Fortification, and School Infrastructure (2026–2030).

The forest restoration project, with an estimated grant of around US$6 million and a duration of six years, covers the municipalities of Baucau and Manatuto. It aims to strengthen efforts to prevent environmental degradation and promote the recovery of forest ecosystems by modernising the national nursery centre, implementing reforestation programmes, and building capacity within public institutions and local communities. It also includes the direct involvement of technical staff and public officials, as well as active community participation in the sustainable management of forests.

The nutrition and food security programme, with funding of approximately US$7.2 million and a duration of five years, will be implemented in the municipalities of Baucau, Bobonaro, Manufahi, and Viqueque. This project aims to improve school feeding and nutrition conditions by strengthening school kitchen infrastructure and equipment, implementing management and monitoring systems, fortifying foods, and promoting supply chains based on local agricultural production. It also includes training for teachers, school staff, and communities, as well as support for the development of local agriculture to supply schools. END

9.00 am, Government Palace

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