On November 10^th, 2026, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, accompanied by the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, inaugurated nine new classrooms at the 12 de Outubro Branch Basic School (EBF 12 de Outubro) in Tasitolu, Dili. The ceremony took place three days after the inauguration of the Iatua Branch Basic Schools 1 and 2 in the municipality of Baucau, which was presided over by the Minister of Education on November 7^th. Both projects, implemented with support from development partners, aim to improve teaching and learning conditions and expand school infrastructure capacity.

At EBF 12 de Outubro, which serves 2,056 students, the construction of nine classrooms will allow the school to reduce its daily operations from three shifts to two, starting in the 2027 academic year. Previously, the school had 12 classrooms, including three temporary structures, and classes were approximately 50 students due to insufficient facilities.

The project resulted from collaboration between the Ministry of Education and development partners, namely Dreams Asia, the Octava Foundation, and Classroom of Hope, with support from partners in Australia and Singapore.

During the ceremony, the Prime Minister urged students and parents to value the new facilities and the learning opportunities they offer. He also addressed teachers, emphasising their responsibility for educating and shaping future generations.

The new facilities were built using a modular system incorporating blocks made from recycled plastic and include sanitation facilities. Construction took place between August and October 2026 and represents a pilot project for the application of this technology in Timor-Leste. According to Classroom of Hope, approximately 13 tonnes of recycled plastic were used to construct six classrooms using a method that reduces construction times and repurposes plastic waste as building materials.

On the occasion, the Minister of Education highlighted the use of alternative solutions to address school infrastructure needs and shorten construction timelines.

“Building schools using traditional methods often takes a long time. However, with this new construction method, classrooms can be completed in less than two months. This project uses recycled plastic materials to produce building blocks, also providing students with a practical example of the importance of environmental sustainability,” explained Dulce de Jesus Soares.

The Minister thanked all organisations involved, including the National Directorate of School Infrastructure, and urged the educational community to preserve the new facilities. She also noted that this experience would enable the Ministry of Education to assess the application of this construction model in future interventions.

Also attending the inauguration of the Iatua EBF 1 and 2 in Baucau, held on November 7th, were the President of the Baucau Municipal Authority, Veneranda E. M. Lemos; the Goodwill Ambassador for Education, Kirsty Sword-Gusmão; and the representative of the organisation Spend It Well, Nandy Gurr.

The new school was built with support from Spend It Well and its partners, making it the 31st school the organisation has constructed in Timor-Leste. According to the Minister of Education, the project was funded by contributions from various donors and community-led fundraising initiatives.

During the ceremony, Dulce de Jesus Soares expressed her gratitude for the organisation’s support and emphasised the school community’s responsibility for using and maintaining the new facilities.

“Today, you have a beautiful new school building, but the remaining elements needed to provide quality education are in your hands. I trust that you will manage this school appropriately and efficiently, ensuring compliance with class schedules, maintaining teaching quality, and properly managing the budget, data, documentation, and the school itself,” stated the Minister.

Nandy Gurr, the representative of Spend It Well, thanked the donors who contributed to the school’s construction and urged teachers and students to use and preserve the new facilities responsibly.

Both inaugurations are part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts to address school infrastructure construction and rehabilitation needs through collaboration with development partners and local community participation.

On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, in Dili, the National Parliament approved, in general terms, the proposed 2027 General State Budget (GSB) law, presented by the 9th Constitutional Government, with 41 votes in favour, 0 votes against, and 23 abstentions, following three days of parliamentary debate on the Government’s budgetary priorities and options for the coming year.

Under the theme “Strengthening Resilience through Transformation: Diversifying the Economy for a Sustainable Future”, the proposal sets out a consolidated overall budget of US$ 2.5685 billion.

The budget proposal of the 9th Constitutional Government sets out economic diversification, productive investment, job creation, improvements in public service delivery, and public financial sustainability as its main priorities, in line with the Government Programme and the Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030.

At the opening of the parliamentary debate on November 9^th, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão emphasised the need to ensure rigorous and responsible management of the State’s financial resources, to strengthen national productive capacity, and to progressively reduce dependence on petroleum revenues.

The Head of Government also highlighted that the budget proposal was prepared using a policy-led approach over a five-year horizon, linking financial allocations to programmes and expected results, thereby enabling a more rigorous assessment of public resource utilisation.

The 2027 GSB provides for US$ 535.3 million in public investment, of which US$ 505.8 million is earmarked for development capital projects. Key investment priorities include infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, health, education, social protection, and local development.

The proposal also includes measures to improve the efficiency of public spending and to boost domestic revenue, including public financial management reforms and support for private-sector development, all aimed at diversifying sources of economic growth.

The budget further allocates resources for the 2027 presidential elections, the potential holding of municipal elections, and the commencement of preparations for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.

The draft law was submitted to the National Parliament on October 1^st, 2026, and reviewed by the relevant parliamentary committees before the debate in general terms, held between November 9^th and 11^th.

Following its approval in general terms, the proposal will proceed to detailed debate and voting, scheduled to begin on November 24^th. The deadline for submitting proposed amendments is 5:00 p.m. on November 13^th.

After the detailed debate, the final overall vote will take place, after which the diploma, if approved, will be submitted to the President of the Republic for promulgation.

Prime Minister travels to the Philippines to attend the 49th ASEAN Summit

New judges take office and the Prime Minister highlights the judiciary’s responsibility in defending citizens’ rights

Prime Minister launches marine surveys for the Greater Sunrise and Bayu-Undan gas pipelines

Government grants licences to 19 companies for the prospecting and exploration of mineral resources

Speech on the Occasion of the Swearing-in Ceremony of 12 Third-Class Judges and Administrative Judges

Timor-Leste and the Republic of Korea have signed three cooperation agreements in the fields of diplomacy, intellectual property and security

Timor-Leste signs two cooperation agreements in the mineral resources sector during the China–ASEAN conference

Government Inaugurates New School Facilities in Dili and Baucau

National Parliament Approves 2027 General State Budget Proposal in General Terms

Speech on the occasion of the Presentation of the Draft State Budget Law for 2027