This information booklet provides an overview of the One-Stop Service Centre (Balcão Único), including its definition and objectives, the legal and strategic framework underpinning its implementation, the different service delivery channels available, the establishment of One-Stop Service Centres across the municipalities and RAEOA, the main achievements to date, and the next steps for the continued development of the initiative. It highlights the One-Stop Service Centre’s contribution to delivering public services that are faster, simpler, more transparent, and more accessible to all citizens.

On July 14^th, 2026, the National Parliament approved, in a final overall vote, Law Proposal No. 22/VI (2nd) – General Framework for the Financial System and Banking Activities, with 51 votes in favour, no votes against, and six abstentions. The plenary session was presided over by the President of Parliament, Maria Fernanda Lay, and attended by the Vice-Minister of Finance, Regina de Jesus de Sousa; the Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL), Hélder Lopes; and the Vice Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Adérito Hugo da Costa. 

The passing of this law constitutes a structural reform of the national financial system, replacing the legal framework in force since 2000 and establishing a new legal regime for the financial and banking sectors, adapted to developments in the national economy and to international standards for financial supervision and regulation.

The new framework strengthens the Central Bank of Timor-Leste’s regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement powers, introduces measures to enhance financial stability, establishes the Resolution Fund and the Deposit Insurance Fund, and, for the first time, sets out the legal framework for development banks. The law also strengthens measures to prevent and combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and to protect consumers, depositors, and investors.

On behalf of the Government and the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, the Vice Minister of Finance thanked the National Parliament for its consideration of the draft law, for the constructive debate, and for the sense of responsibility shown throughout the legislative process.

The Vice Minister emphasised that the passage of the law proposal “represents not only the adoption of a law but also a joint commitment between the Government and the National Parliament to strengthen confidence, stability, and the modernisation of the national financial system.” She also thanked members of Parliament for their contributions, suggestions, and recommendations, which helped refine the legislation to address the country’s current challenges and future needs.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste emphasised that the new law modernises and consolidates the legal framework governing banking and non-banking financial institutions, thereby strengthening the Central Bank’s supervisory capacity, promoting greater financial system stability, and aligning Timor-Leste with international standards on prudential regulation, risk management, and the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.

 

On July 10^th and 11^th, 2026, the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, presented the results of the mini–Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) in Bobonaro and the Oe-Cússe Ambeno Special Administrative Region (RAEOA). That same week, the Secretary of State for General Senior Secondary Education and Vocational Secondary Education, Domingos Lopes Lemos, made a working visit to the RAEOA to improve conditions in Senior Secondary (Years 10–12), distributing computer equipment and holding meetings with educational communities. 

On July 10^th at the Dom Bosco Technical and Vocational School in Maumali, Bobonaro, and on July 11^th at the Palaban Central Elementary School in the RAEOA, the Minister presented the results of assessments of 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-grade students in the Primary and Secondary School (Years 1-9) to measure their basic reading, writing, and maths skills.

EGRA assesses reading skills, comprehension, and reading fluency, while EGMA measures basic numeracy skills, including calculation, comparing numbers, and solving simple maths problems. These assessments help identify students’ essential skills in the early years of schooling and support improvements in teaching practices.

In Bobonaro, the minister emphasised that literacy and numeracy form the foundation of academic success and of students’ educational journey.

“We recognise that we still face challenges in literacy and numeracy. That is why it is essential to assess students’ skills in the early years of schooling. A student who has not mastered reading or basic arithmetic will find it harder to keep up with other subjects throughout their school career.”

The Acting President of the Bobonaro Municipal Authority, Domingos da Costa, reaffirmed the municipal administration’s commitment to supporting the Ministry of Education’s educational policies and encouraged schools to use EGRA and EGMA results to improve the quality of education.

At RAEOA, the Minister emphasised the importance of lesson plans as a tool to guide teaching and improve student learning.

“The lesson plan is the roadmap that guides our work. It is where we define the lesson’s objectives, activities, necessary materials, and how to assess whether students have understood the content. When teachers properly prepare and master the lesson plan, the teaching process proceeds in an organised manner, and students benefit from more effective learning.”

The President of the RAEOA Authority, Régio da Cruz, expressed the regional administration’s support for the Ministry of Education’s programmes and urged schools to use the assessment results to develop action plans to improve student performance and teaching methods.

From July 6^th to 8^th, the Secretary of State for General Senior Secondary Education and Vocational Secondary Education, Domingos Lopes Lemos, also paid a working visit to the RAEOA, with a focus on improving the operating conditions of general and technical-vocational secondary schools.

During the visit, he presided over the launch of an IT equipment distribution initiative, which included the delivery of 20 computers and a printer to the Palaban Vocational Secondary Education High School, six computers to the São João Paulo II Catholic Vocational Secondary Education High School in Pássabe, and six computers and a printer to the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Agricultural Technical High School in Pante-Makassar, to support teaching and learning and the schools’ administrative management.

The Secretary of State also met with the principals of public, private, and technical-vocational secondary schools in the RAEOA to learn about the sector’s key challenges. He then visited Boknana Central Elementary School, where he discussed with local authorities and parents a proposal to establish a parallel General Senior Secondary (Years 10–12) class to facilitate students’ access to Senior Secondary. The Ministry of Education will conduct the necessary technical evaluation before the measure is potentially implemented.

 

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On July 9^th, 2026, at the Ministry of Health in Dili, the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, and the Minister of Health, Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral, signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen institutional cooperation between the two ministries in providing healthcare to inmates in Timor-Leste’s prisons. 

The memorandum sets out a framework for the joint coordination, planning, implementation, and monitoring of prison health programmes to ensure that inmates have access to adequate healthcare in accordance with national and international human rights standards.

The cooperation will cover areas such as health promotion, disease prevention and treatment, mental health services, control of infectious and non-infectious diseases, immunisation, nutrition, maternal and child health, and emergency response in prison settings.

Under the agreement, the Ministries of Justice and Health also commit to providing medical care—including consultations and first aid—to inmates in the prisons in Becora, Suai, and Gleno. The memorandum also provides for the supply of essential medicines and medical care tailored to the specific needs of the prison population, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and mothers with children who remain in prison facilities in accordance with the law.

In his remarks, the Minister of Justice stated that institutional cooperation between the two ministries is grounded in the principles of mutual benefit, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and effective coordination, to ensure that inmates have access to high-quality, dignified, and appropriate health care services.

The Minister of Health thanked the leaders of both ministries for their work, which enabled the rapid finalisation of this memorandum, noting that it marks a strategic step towards expanding and strengthening the provision of health services in correctional facilities. She also reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to continue providing technical support and mobilising the necessary resources to ensure comprehensive and continuous health care for the prison population, particularly the most vulnerable individuals.

Vice-Minister for Hospital Operationalisation Flávio Brandão Mendes de Araújo, officials from the Ministries of Justice and Health, representatives of relevant institutions, and other official guests also attended the ceremony.

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Today, July 13^th, 2026, Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, accompanied by Gastão Francisco de Sousa, Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, chaired an inter-ministerial meeting at the Government Palace in Dili to prepare the draft of the 2027–2030 Medium-Term Plan for the Institutional Development Pillar. The meeting aimed to analyse, discuss, and consolidate contributions from the relevant agencies for the final version of the document, which will define the priorities and strategic interventions for the period from 2027 to 2030.

The Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso; the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai; the Minister of Defence, Donaciano do Rosário Gomes; the Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina de Sousa Carvalho; and the Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Rui Pereira dos Santos, attended the meeting, as did technical representatives from the various bodies that make up the Institutional Development Pillar.

Drafting of the 2027–2030 Medium-Term Plan is part of the final phase of implementing the 2011 Strategic Development Plan –2030 and is being carried out within the framework of the Interministerial Commissions for Sectoral Development Coordination, established by Government Resolution No. 43/2024 of August 14^th. The plan aims to provide a roadmap to strengthen economic diversification, inclusive growth, human capital, and national institutional resilience by 2030.

At the opening of the meeting, Agio Pereira emphasised that institutional development forms the foundation for achieving the other national priorities and highlighted progress in the Institutional Framework sector, where the 44 targets set out in the Strategic Development Plan have advanced as a result of the reforms implemented. He also noted that the joint efforts of the institutions will enable the finalisation of a document that reflects the priorities and experience of all the entities involved.

During the session, participants presented and discussed the strategic framework of the Institutional Development Pillar, including its objectives, targets, indicators, and priority interventions, as well as cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, disability and social inclusion, climate change, and land-use planning. Participants also reviewed the implementation timeline and the main expected results for the period 2027–2030.

The Institutional Development Pillar is built on four strategic objectives: strengthening the rule of law and access to justice; improving the delivery of public services through decentralisation and administrative modernisation; strengthening governance, accountability, and fiscal sustainability; and strengthening the operational and oversight capacity of the defence and security forces. These objectives are delivered through six Key Results Areas: Justice and Land Tenure; Municipal Governance; Public Finance and Anti-Corruption; Public Administration and Digital Government; Security and Defence; and International Relations. The pillar also incorporates, in a cross-cutting manner, the dimensions of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion, as well as climate change and the environment.

The meeting provided an opportunity to consolidate contributions and reach consensus among the participating entities on finalising the draft of the 2027–2030 Medium-Term Plan under the Institutional Development Pillar, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for consideration.

 

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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July 13th, 2026

Statement of Condolence

Government expresses its profound sorrow at the passing of Paula Pinto

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste expresses its profound sorrow at the passing of Dr Paula Pinto, a long-standing advocate for the Timorese cause and a devoted friend of Timor-Leste, who died today in Dili.

Over several decades, Dr Paula Pinto worked with extraordinary commitment and discretion in defence of the right of the Timorese people to self-determination and independence. From the late 1970s, she was part of the external front of the Resistance, helping to mobilise international solidarity in support of Timor-Leste.

In 1999, she assumed a particularly important role as a member of the team that established the support office for Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, then President of the National Council of Timorese Resistance, while he was imprisoned in Salemba Prison in Jakarta. Her service was invaluable at a decisive moment in the nation’s history.

Following the restoration of independence, Dr Paula Pinto continued to place her experience and dedication at the service of the Timorese State, joining the Office of the President of the Republic at the beginning of President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão’s term.  She subsequently maintained an enduring connection with Timor-Leste, continuing her work through translation, the preservation and promotion of historical memory and support for various initiatives of national importance, always demonstrating exceptional dedication, modesty and a deep spirit of service.

At this time of mourning, the Government pays tribute to her example of solidarity, courage and commitment to Timor-Leste and acknowledges that her contribution will be permanently inscribed in the history of the struggle for national liberation and the building of the Timorese State.

The Government extends its deepest condolences to Dr Roque Rodrigues, to Paula Pinto’s family and friends and to all those who shared with her the ideal of a free and sovereign Timor-Leste.

May she rest in peace.

Speech by H. E. the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão
Grand Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dili
10 July 2026