The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of State Administration have determined the temporary suspension of face-to-face teaching activities on October 15th, 16th, and 17th, 2026, throughout the national territory, as a preventive measure to protect the health of students, teachers, and other members of the educational community, given current air quality conditions.
The measure covers public, private, and cooperative establishments within the public education system, ranging from pre-school and primary and secondary schools (Years 1-9) through to general Senior Secondary School (Years 10–12) and Vocational Secondary Education.
The decision followed information from the National Directorate of Meteorology and Geophysics (DNMG – acronym in Portuguese) on deteriorating air quality linked to polluting particles from fires and burning in the region. In recent days, Dili recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) values between 165 and 174, which are considered harmful to health.
The DNMG has been monitoring the situation and has warned that concentrations of smoke and pollutants may rise again in the coming days, depending on atmospheric conditions and smoke transport from the region.
The suspension of face-to-face teaching activities also reflects the risks of exposure to these particles and the concern expressed by the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, regarding the potential health effects of the current situation on children and young people.
Schools will use this Wednesday, October 14th, to prepare students for the three-day suspension of face-to-face activities. Heads of educational establishments must ensure that teachers set homework and provide guidance on monitoring home study during this period.
Between October 15th and 17th, alternative pedagogical support modalities may be adopted in accordance with guidelines from the competent services. Educational establishments must also draw up specific plans to recover teaching and learning activities.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of State Administration recommend that families keep children indoors unnecessarily during this period and avoid outdoor physical activities. When leaving home is necessary, the use of appropriate respiratory protection is recommended.
It is also recommended that doors and windows remain closed during periods of elevated smoke or pollutant particle concentrations, and that the burning of waste or other materials that could aggravate atmospheric pollution be avoided.
Heads of educational establishments must ensure that these guidelines are disseminated to students, teachers, staff, parents and guardians, and the wider educational community.
Schools outside the public education network and international schools are likewise recommended to take current air quality conditions and the protection of children’s health into account when defining their activities.
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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.