On June 1^st, 2026, the Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, through the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, launched the national platform verify.gov.tl, an initiative designed to enhance security, transparency, and the prevention of forgery of official documents.

The platform was developed as part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, with technical assistance from the Government of Cambodia, drawing on experience gained through the verify.gov.kh platform. The system uses blockchain technology and QR codes to verify the authenticity of documents issued by the competent authorities.

Initially, the platform will apply to driver’s licences issued by the National Directorate of Land Transport (DNTT – acronym in Portuguese). The inclusion of a QR code will allow the relevant authorities—namely the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL – acronym in Portuguese)—and citizens to verify the document’s authenticity and confirm the holder’s identity using a mobile phone.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, emphasised that the platform’s implementation was made possible thanks to the cooperation established between Timor-Leste and Cambodia.

According to the Minister, the platform “was developed based on the memorandum of understanding signed in Cambodia on January 20^th, 2025.” He added that, following a technical mission in March 2025 to assess the system’s implementation at the National Land Transport Directorate, the work was completed, enabling the platform’s official launch.

Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu also explained that QR codes will enable verification of driver’s licence authenticity and help identify forged documents. He also noted that as current driver’s licences expire, they will be replaced with new documents equipped with QR codes, and that in the future this solution will be extended to other official documents.

Chea Vandeth, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of the Kingdom of Cambodia, stated that the platform was developed in cooperation with technical teams from both countries and explained that the data used is obtained directly from the servers of Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Chea Vandeth noted that only the National Land Transport Authority has access to the data required to validate documents, and emphasised that blockchain technology helps ensure the authenticity and integrity of the information. He also noted that the solution is already in use in Cambodia and that the platform has been recognised by ASEAN ministers responsible for digital affairs and at international forums focused on digital transformation.

The launch of the verify.gov.tl platform marks another step towards modernising public services and advancing digital transformation in Timor-Leste.

The Government organised a media tour to showcase the development and expansion projects at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport

On June 11^th, 2026, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, in coordination with the Timor-Leste Airport and Air Navigation Authority, EP (ANATL, EP – acronym in Portuguese), organised a media tour of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili to showcase progress on the airport’s infrastructure development and expansion projects.

Before visiting the site, the journalists attended a briefing led by José da Costa, Chief of Staff and Coordinator of the Project Management Unit (PMU) at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, covering the project’s overall status, the construction process, and the current implementation phases. The team also received safety briefings and instructions on procedures for accessing the construction sites from the construction company.

During the visit, the journalists toured the sites designated for future infrastructure, including the airport access road, the new passenger terminal, the control tower, the aircraft parking area, and the runway extension site in Beto-Tasi area, Madohi village.

During the visit, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, explained that the project is being implemented in phases and that construction will not affect the airport’s normal operations. The minister also stated that the airport expansion is not limited to the runway but also involves the preparation, relocation, and adaptation of various infrastructure and support services.

“When we look at an airport, people often see only the runway, but an important part of the airport comprises the various facilities that need to be prepared and relocated. Therefore, this process is ongoing and requires coordination with all parties to ensure that construction can proceed smoothly,” said Minister Miguel Manetelu.

The minister added that certain operations and services must continue during construction, including aircraft parked at the airport and the relocation of certain operational facilities.

The representative of the construction company reaffirmed the commitment to deliver the project on schedule and stated that, despite some technical obstacles during implementation, they will allocate additional resources and carry out work in parallel to accelerate construction progress.

“We will continue the assessment, and by working closely with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and other stakeholders, we can ensure the project is delivered on schedule in March 2028,” said the company representative.

The visit enabled the media to witness firsthand the progress of one of the country’s key strategic infrastructure projects. The development and expansion of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport are part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen regional connectivity, increase the aviation sector’s capacity, and prepare Timor-Leste to host international events, including those within the ASEAN framework in 2029.

The coordinator of the Working Group on Justice Sector Reform conducted an institutional mission to Portugal to strengthen cooperation and to monitor justice reform

Between May 4^th and 15^th, 2026, Lúcia Lobato, Coordinator of the Working Group on Justice Sector Reform, undertook an official visit to Portugal to monitor the structural reforms underway in Timor-Leste’s justice sector, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and consolidate strategic technical and institutional partnerships.

The mission included a series of high-level meetings with Portuguese institutions in the justice sector, focusing in particular on strengthening judicial institutions, building the capacity of national human resources, modernising the mechanisms for recruiting and selecting judges, and monitoring the training programme for Timorese staff.

As part of the visit, the Coordinator of the Working Group on Justice Sector Reform held a high-level institutional meeting with the Attorney General of Portugal, Counsellor Amadeu Guerra, and the Vice President of the Superior Council of the Judiciary of Portugal, Judge-Counsellor Luís Miguel Ferreira de Azevedo Mendes. The meeting was organised with the support of the Portuguese Supreme Court of Justice. It provided an opportunity to deepen institutional dialogue on key aspects of justice sector reform in Timor-Leste, with a focus on strengthening the judiciary, improving judicial management mechanisms, and consolidating the judicial system’s independence, quality, and efficiency.

During the meeting, participants discussed the current needs of the national justice sector, including challenges such as the shortage of specialised personnel, the need to strengthen ongoing technical and legal training for judges, and the development of specialised technical advisory mechanisms for prosecutors and judges in Timor-Leste.

The mission also provided an opportunity to discuss concrete ways to strengthen institutional cooperation between Timor-Leste and Portugal, particularly regarding technical exchanges, specialised training, assistance with the institutional consolidation of the Timorese judicial system, and the sharing of best practices in areas such as case management, the administration of justice, the recruitment and evaluation of judges, and the functioning of the higher judicial bodies.

One of the central topics also focused on the ongoing work of the Recruitment and Selection Commission to fill the positions of Justices of the Supreme Court of Justice of Timor-Leste, with relevant contributions gathered on selection models, merit criteria, institutional transparency, and mechanisms to ensure the credibility of judicial appointment processes, which are considered essential to strengthening public confidence in the justice system.

The mission’s agenda also included meetings with scholarship recipients from the justice sector for the 2024 and 2025 academic years, who are currently pursuing higher education in Braga, Porto, Coimbra, and Lisbon, for a total of 97 recipients.

The primary purpose of these meetings was to directly assess students’ academic performance, monitor their academic and social integration, evaluate their overall well-being, identify any academic, social, or logistical difficulties, and gather information on additional needs that may require institutional support.

During these meetings, the Coordinator of the Working Group on Justice Sector Reform emphasised the importance of investing in developing national human capital as an essential condition for the sustainability of justice reform. She highlighted that the ongoing professional development of legal professionals, judges, public defenders, and sector specialists is one of the strategic pillars for building a stronger, more efficient, and more autonomous judicial system.

Monitoring scholarship recipients has taken on particular importance at a time when the third phase of the scholarship award process for the justice sector is underway, and it also provides valuable insights for the future improvement of the scholarship programme and the institutional monitoring model for students placed abroad.

The visit thus enabled the consolidation of high-level institutional contacts, strengthened mechanisms for technical and legal cooperation, and gathered valuable input to advance structural reform in Timor-Leste’s justice sector, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening justice institutions, building the capacity of national human resources, and modernising the judicial system.

Government holds Budgetary Days to prepare the 2027 General State Budget

Today, June 12^th, 2026, in Dili, the Government, through the Ministry of Finance, held the Budgetary Days to prepare the 2027 General State Budget (GSB). The seminar brought together members of the Government, representatives of the National Parliament, public entities, municipalities, civil society, and other partners to analyse the country’s macroeconomic and fiscal context and to define priorities for the next fiscal year.

At the opening session, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão noted that “the General State Budget for 2027 will be the first budget under the 2027–2030 Medium-Term Planning Framework” and added that this instrument will be crucial for supporting the diversification of the non-oil economy, strengthening regional integration, and promoting more inclusive growth.

The Head of Government emphasised that “the 2027 State Budget will be guided by the theme “Strengthening Resilience Through Transformation: Diversifying the Economy for a Sustainable Future”, and added that this vision “means transforming our resilience into investments in strategic productive sectors, in quality infrastructure, in connectivity and access to basic services, and in strengthening national human capital.”

During the proceedings, the country’s macroeconomic and fiscal outlook was presented, together with the results of the public consultations on the 2027 GSB, the 2027–2030 Medium-Term Plan, and the new budget preparation model set out in Decree-Law No. 42/2025 on the regulation of the Framework Law for the General State Budget. The new model introduces multi-year estimates and reinforces the prior definition of policy priorities and the assessment of the costs of proposals submitted by public entities.

The analyses presented highlighted the need to strengthen economic resilience, diversify productive sectors, increase domestic revenue, and ensure the sustainability of public finances, in a context where the economy remains heavily dependent on the Petroleum Fund.

In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to reform the budget-preparation process and said, “We must start with an honest assessment of our current situation.” The Head of Government noted that “significant public resources have been used, but the results for our citizens and our economy have not progressed at the expected pace” and warned that “if we continue to rely on the old way of drafting the budget, we risk depleting the Petroleum Fund without achieving the structural transformation our people deserve.”

Addressing members of the Government and heads of State institutions, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão called for greater discipline and selectivity in setting priorities, stating that “each ministry must be selective and strategic” and asking that “a small number of high-impact initiatives” be identified.

The Prime Minister also argued that “we cannot perpetuate a growth model based solely on public spending without mobilising private investment, public-private partnerships, and blended finance,” and reiterated the need to direct resources towards investments “with clear and measurable results.”

The national priorities for the 2027 GSB include economic diversification and the productive sectors; infrastructure and basic services; human capital development; improving the quality of public investment; strengthening national resilience; preparations for the 2027 CPLP Summit and the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship; promotion of the private sector and digital transformation; fiscal sustainability; and strengthening the justice system.

In closing his remarks, the Prime Minister emphasised that “our citizens may not be following the details of this process, but they will feel its results,” and added that “the people of Timor-Leste deserve better infrastructure and services, more jobs and business opportunities, and stronger protection against crises and disasters.”

The Budgetary Days mark the formal start of the process for preparing the 2027 General State Budget, the draft of which must be finalised and submitted to the National Parliament by October 1^st, 2026.

Open call for applications for scholarships in Portugal in the justice sector

Open call for applications for scholarships in Portugal in the justice sector

The Prime Minister will attend the 2026 ASEAN-Russia Summit in Kazan

Timor-Leste strengthens cooperation on infrastructure and human capital development in Macao

Timor-Leste climbs to 32nd place in the 2026 Global Peace Index and consolidates its position among the region’s most peaceful countries

Timor-Leste and Cambodia launch a platform to strengthen the authentication of official documents

The Government organised a media tour to showcase the development and expansion projects at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport

The coordinator of the Working Group on Justice Sector Reform conducted an institutional mission to Portugal to strengthen cooperation and to monitor justice reform

Government holds Budgetary Days to prepare the 2027 General State Budget

Opening address on the occasion of the meeting “Budget Days for 2027” “Strengthening Resilience through Transformation: Diversifying the Economy for a Sustainable Future”