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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 3rd, 2026
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Government Resolution, which extends until December 31st, 2026, the suspension of the teaching, learning, and practice of martial arts, as well as the temporary closure of all venues and facilities used for the teaching, learning, and practice of martial arts.
The decision extends Government Resolution No. 45/2023, dated November 10th, which has been successively extended by Resolutions No. 17/2024, of April 24th; No. 60/2024, of November 7th; No. 22/2025, of April 7th; and No. 77/2025, of December 17th. The grounds for the current suspension remain in effect, namely the need to consolidate the social peace achieved since November 2023 and to ensure that the practice of martial arts falls exclusively within the scope of healthy sporting activities and contributes to the civic and humanistic education and training of young people.
Meanwhile, on July 30th, 2025, the 9th Constitutional Government approved a Law Proposal—already submitted to the National Parliament—aimed at regulating the new legal framework for the practice of martial arts. Until the Law Proposal is approved and enters into force, the suspension and temporary closure of facilities used for the teaching, learning, and practice of martial arts must remain in effect.
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The Council of Ministers supported the new budget preparation methodology, presented by Finance Minister Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso, which will be applied for the first time to the preparation of the General State Budget for 2027 and will serve as the framework for subsequent budgetary processes. The reform, set out in Decree-Law No. 42/2025 of July 30th, aims to strengthen budgetary discipline, improve alignment between the Government’s policy priorities and the allocation of public resources, and promote more rigorous multi-year financial planning.
Under the new model, ministries are required to prepare their budget proposals based on previously defined policy priorities, established budgetary limits, and financial estimates for the coming years, to enhance the predictability of public spending and the assessment of the costs of government policies.
During the presentation, the main changes to the budgetary process were also discussed, including the creation of the Policy Review Committee, which replaces the former Budget Review Committee and will now be responsible for assessing and verifying the priorities of ministerial proposals; the adoption of standardised templates for preparing proposals; and the strengthening of monitoring of the implementation and performance of public programmes.
The plan for preparing the 2027 GSB was also presented. It sets out the following steps to be taken between June and September: defining policy priorities; submitting and evaluating proposals from the ministries; holding Budgetary Days; and having the budget proposal approved by the Council of Ministers before it is submitted to the National Parliament by October 1st, 2026.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft resolution of the National Parliament, submitted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, and the Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, for ratification of the Cebu Protocol Amending the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The protocol, adopted at the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8th, 2026, formally amends the ASEAN Charter to reflect Timor-Leste’s admission as the organisation’s eleventh member state. The amendment updates the official list of Member States, as well as the ASEAN flag and emblem.
The ratification of this instrument marks another step towards Timor-Leste’s full integration into ASEAN, ensuring the country’s participation in the organisation’s institutional framework and the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken upon acceding to the ASEAN Charter.
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The Council of Ministers has granted full powers to the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Commonwealth of Australia, Inês Maria de Almeida, to sign the Declaration of Intent to Establish Diplomatic Relations between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia.
The purpose of this initiative is to formalise the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 18th, 1961.
The decision reflects the mutual interest of Timor-Leste and the Federated States of Micronesia in strengthening ties of friendship and bilateral cooperation, thereby contributing to international peace and security, based on the principles of equality among States, national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs.
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The Council of Ministers supported the signing of two memoranda of understanding between Timor-Leste and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the fields of education and higher education.
The agreements aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation by promoting partnerships between educational and research institutions, facilitating exchanges of students, faculty, and experts, sharing best practices and educational experiences, developing training and research programs, and promoting scholarship opportunities, subject to the availability of resources on both sides.
The memorandum of understanding on education will be signed by the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, and by Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training. The memorandum of understanding on higher education, science, and culture will be signed by the Acting Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, Mariano Assanami Sabino. Both agreements will be signed by Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training.
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The Council of Ministers heard a presentation from Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão on the 2026 National Ocean Week, which will run from June 3rd to 8th, with activities in Dili, Ataúro, Lautém, and the rest of the country’s municipalities.
The initiative forms part of the celebrations for the first National Day of the Sea, observed on June 5th, and culminates in the celebration of World Oceans Day on June 8th. Established by Government Resolution No. 67/2025 of October 24th, National Sea Day aims to raise awareness of the sea’s strategic importance to Timor-Leste, promote the protection of marine ecosystems, the sustainable use of ocean resources, and the development of the blue economy.
Throughout the week, a range of activities will take place, focusing on awareness-raising, education, culture, tourism, sports, environmental conservation, and the promotion of the nation’s maritime heritage. The programme includes the opening of an outdoor photo exhibition on the Dili Waterfront, the Ocean Parade, the Ocean Fair, the launch of the Blue Economy Portal, the Maritime Tourism Fair, coastal clean-ups, sea turtle releases, cultural and educational contests, religious celebrations, community activities, and marine conservation initiatives. The programme also extends to schools across the country through environmental education and ocean protection initiatives taking place from June 1st to 8th.
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In accordance with the proposal presented by Vice Minister of Trade Augusto Júnior Trindade, the Council of Ministers decided to accept Timor-Leste’s hosting of the 115th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Services (CCS) in Timor-Leste, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, as proposed by the ASEAN Secretariat, as part of its obligations as a member and in preparation for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.
The CCS is ASEAN’s main body responsible for coordinating policies on the integration and liberalisation of trade in services; it promotes the reduction of trade barriers, the opening of services markets, and the mobility of qualified professionals among ASEAN member states.
Holding this meeting in Timor-Leste is a strategically important opportunity to further Timor-Leste’s integration into ASEAN and to strengthen the country’s active participation in ASEAN’s sectoral mechanisms, while also enabling relevant ministries and agencies to gain practical experience in managing ASEAN meetings, diplomatic protocol, logistical coordination, and stakeholder engagement.
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Lastly, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of the Interior, Francisco da Costa Guterres, on determining the annual staffing requirements for the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) in 2026.
The Government Resolution sets the number of additional positions to be recruited by the PNTL in 2026 at 350, in addition to the 400 positions previously approved for admission to the Police Officer Training Course, bringing the total to 750 positions. Of the planned positions, 400 are intended for general policing carried out by the Municipal Commands, and 350 are intended to reinforce the PNTL’s Specialised and Reserve Units, specifically the Maritime Police Unit, the Border Patrol Unit, and the Special Police Unit.
This measure aims to strengthen the PNTL’s operational capacity to address national security needs, given the challenges posed by upcoming elections, border protection, and Timor-Leste’s 2029 ASEAN chairmanship. END
Today, June 2nd, 2026, the National Parliament approved, in a final overall vote, the proposal for the first amendment to Law No. 8/2025 of November 27th, regarding the General State Budget for 2026 (2026 supplementary GSB). The proposal was approved with 42 votes in favour, zero against, and 23 abstentions.
The amendment to the 2026 GSB aims to address the effects of the current international situation, marked by geopolitical instability and fluctuations in international energy markets, by measures to strengthen national energy security, stabilise fuel prices, and ensure the continued operation of essential services.
Among the key measures planned is the establishment of a National Strategic Fuel Reserve worth US$174.3 million, intended to cover approximately seven months of the country’s electricity generation fuel needs. A fuel subsidy programme worth US$42 million is also planned, with the aim of mitigating the impact of rising international prices on households and businesses.
The proposal also provides for the strengthening of the National Logistics Centre’s rice stockpile, additional funds for the recruitment of 400 cadets for the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), expenses related to the exercise of the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), the strengthening of the operational capacity of notary services, and an increase in the State Contingency Reserve.
Under this amendment, the consolidated amount of the 2026 GSB increases by US$101.1 million, rising from US$2.291 billion to US$2.392 billion. The budget increase does not result from increased transfers from the Petroleum Fund, but rather from the realignment of the government’s financing sources, including management balances, available balances in non-operating bank accounts, and increased domestic revenues.
The parliamentary review process for the proposal began after its formal submission to the National Parliament on May 15th, following its approval by the Council of Ministers on May 13th. After public hearings organised by the Specialist Standing Committees and the Prime Minister’s presentation of the proposal in plenary, the amendment to the 2026 General State Budget was approved in general terms on May 28th, before proceeding to detailed discussion and voting, which culminated today in the final overall vote.
Once the parliamentary process is complete, the final draft of the law will be submitted to the President of the Republic for promulgation, in accordance with the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
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