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On October 6th, 2026, the National Parliament approved, in a final overall vote, Draft Law No. 18/VI (3rd), concerning the third amendment to Law No. 9/2011 of August 17th, which approves the Organic Law of the Chamber of Accounts of the High Administrative, Tax and Audit Court, with 37 votes in favour, 16 against, and one abstention.
The approved amendment eliminates prior audit while maintaining concurrent and subsequent audits of public expenditure and public contracts.
During the parliamentary debate, the Government emphasised that the amendment aims to adapt audit mechanisms to the current needs of the Public Administration, reducing delays in administrative procedures and in the implementation of public programmes and projects, without eliminating control mechanisms over the use of State resources.
The Vice-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Adérito Hugo da Costa, explained that prior audit enables control before the execution of public contracts and expenditure, but can also cause procedural delays. According to the Vice-Minister, although the law sets a timeframe for verifying legality, some processes have, in practice, experienced longer review periods, affecting the execution of public projects and cooperation with international partners.
With the retention of concurrent audit, the Chamber of Accounts will be able to monitor public expenditure procedures throughout their execution, from procurement processes through to project implementation. Subsequent audit, in turn, will allow for verification of financial execution.
The Government stressed that the amendment does not eliminate control over the use of public resources or remove the responsibility of implementing entities. Public bodies remain responsible for the planning, procurement, execution, and results of projects, and in cases of irregularities or violations of the law, those responsible remain subject to the applicable legal and financial mechanisms.
The amendment thus seeks to reconcile audit and transparency in the management of public finances with greater efficiency in administrative procedures and in the execution of development programmes and projects.
The Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai; the Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal; the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, Gastão Francisco de Sousa; the Vice-Minister of Finance, Regina de Jesus; and the Vice-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Adérito Hugo da Costa attended this plenary session of the National Parliament.
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On October 6th, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão participated in a seminar on the prudent management of the Petroleum Fund, organised by the Ministry of Finance in joint collaboration with the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL), with the participation of national and international experts in finance and investment.
The seminar, held on October 6th and 7th, aimed to analyse the Petroleum Fund’s sustainability, fiscal and investment strategies, and the challenges of long-term asset management.
At the seminar’s opening, the Prime Minister highlighted the Petroleum Fund’s role in financing national development since the restoration of independence and called for reflection on its future management, given declining petroleum revenues, and the current international economic context.
“We are now facing a period of concern because [the Fund] is gradually being depleted and we do not know what uncertainties the current world holds. I am grateful that we are here together to reflect—drawing on your knowledge and experience—and to help find the best way to manage our Petroleum Fund prudently,” said the Prime Minister.
The Head of Government also said the work will enable a more detailed analysis of the Fund’s sustainability, the impact of projects funded by its resources, and the fiscal strategy.
The Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso, highlighted the fiscal and developmental dimensions of the Petroleum Fund’s sustainability.
“We all know that the Petroleum Fund has been central to financing Timor-Leste’s development and continues to fund a large share of the General State Budget. Therefore, its sustainability is not merely an investment matter but also a fiscal and development issue for the Government,” stated the Minister.
The Petroleum Fund framework was established to balance the needs of present and future generations, with the Estimated Sustainable Income (ESI) serving as the benchmark for sustainable withdrawals.
The Minister of Finance noted that the investment strategy must preserve the Fund’s purchasing power over the long term and pointed out that, in recent years, withdrawals have exceeded the ESI amid significant reductions in petroleum revenues.
“The Fund has performed better than expected. Petroleum revenues and investment returns exceeded projections, while withdrawals were lower,” she stated.
As part of the Government’s priority to ensure the prudent management of the Petroleum Fund, options for a gradual fiscal transition are under review, guided by rules and principles designed to promote the Fund’s sustainability.
The Governor of the BCTL, Hélder Lopes, explained that the Petroleum Fund Law establishes the Investment Advisory Council, which advises the Minister of Finance on the management and investment of the Fund’s resources.
According to the Governor, the Council holds an annual working seminar, and this year’s edition will take place in Bangkok during the Prime Minister’s official visit to Thailand.
During the sessions, the Ministry of Finance presented the current status of the Petroleum Fund, including trends in revenues from oil and gas production, investment returns, and withdrawals. The BCTL also presented analyses to support the definition of the Fund’s investment strategy.
“Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão presented his vision for how we should manage our Fund, followed by the Central Bank’s presentation, and provided guidance to help us conduct a better analysis, with a view to preparing material for the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself, which can be used in policy formulation,” stated Hélder Lopes.
The Petroleum Fund’s balance is currently nearly US$19 billion.
The seminar also featured presentations by international experts on investment, capital mobilisation, and financial sustainability, as well as shared experiences from Australia and Norway in sovereign wealth fund management.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Thailand, Francisco Tilman Cepeda, and by the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Elizabeth Exposto.
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 7th, 2025
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and analysed the preliminary presentation of the Agreement between the Governments of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Indonesia on the Promotion and Protection of Investments.
The Agreement aims to establish more favourable conditions for investment between the two countries by providing a framework for the protection and treatment of investments, streamlining procedures, and mechanisms for resolving any disputes. The Agreement thus seeks to strengthen investor confidence, promote the flow of capital and technology, and contribute to economic development and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation. END
On October 2nd, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão attended the farewell ceremony for 50 Timorese scholarship holders departing for Portugal to study law, as part of the human resources training programme for the justice sector.
Of the 50 scholarship holders selected, 41 will attend undergraduate degree programmes, six will attend master’s degree programmes, and three will attend doctoral programmes at Portuguese higher education institutions.
At the ceremony, the Prime Minister urged the students to regard this opportunity as a commitment to training in the service of Timor-Leste and to return to the country upon completing their studies.
“Every day, remember that you are there to return better equipped to serve,” said Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
The Head of Government reinforced this appeal by reminding the scholarship holders of their commitment to the country: “Do not forget this commitment: I am going to Portugal to return and serve. This is what must stay in your minds and hearts. Learn to serve, study to serve.”
The programme is part of measures developed by the Working Group for Justice Sector Reform, coordinated by former Minister of Justice Lúcia Lobato, to address the need for qualified human resources and to strengthen the capacities of justice sector institutions and the legal services of the Public Administration.
The initiative is based on five cooperation agreements signed by the Government in June 2024 with the Catholic University of Portugal, the University of Minho, the University of Lisbon, the University of Porto, and NOVA University Lisbon. The agreements provide for the training in Portugal of approximately 50 Timorese students per year, with the aim of training between 250 and 300 legal professionals.
The programme is funded by the Government of Timor-Leste, representing an investment of approximately US$16 million. The training aims to increase the number of qualified legal staff, particularly within the judiciary, the Public Defender’s Office, the legal services of the Public Administration, and legal education.
In 2024, the first group of 51 scholarship holders travelled to Portugal under this programme. In 2025, a further 52 scholarship holders were selected.
During the ceremony, the Ambassador of Portugal to Timor-Leste, Duarte Bué Alves, reaffirmed the priority given to education and training within the framework of Portuguese cooperation with Timor-Leste and highlighted Portugal’s readiness to continue supporting the training of Timorese professionals.
The Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, Gastão Francisco de Sousa; the Coordinator of the Working Group for Justice Sector Reform, Lúcia Lobato; representatives of the Human Capital Development Fund; and the scholarship holders also attended the ceremony.
The student representative, Nenia Milenia Belo da Silva, thanked the Government for the opportunity and reaffirmed the scholarship holders’ commitment to undertaking their training in Portugal responsibly and to placing the knowledge acquired at the service of the country upon their return to Timor-Leste.
On October 2nd, 2026, at the Santa Cruz Cemetery in Dili, the Minister of National Liberation Combatants’ Affairs, Gil da Costa Monteiro “Oan Soru”, attended the foundation-stone-laying ceremony for the Sebastião Rangel Gomes Memorial, paying tribute to the young man associated with the Clandestine Front of the Timorese Resistance, whose death in October 1991 preceded the events of the November 12th Massacre.
The project, titled “Design and Construction of the Historical Preservation and Sebastião Gomes Memorial Project (Santa Cruz)”, is being implemented with the participation of the Dili Municipal Authority, the November 12th Committee, and the Ministry of National Liberation Combatants’ Affairs.
The project, valued at US$93,500, is due for completion by December 2026.
The project also provides for the transfer of Sebastião Gomes’s remains from their current grave to a new location near the entrance to Santa Cruz Cemetery, following coordination among the Government, the November 12th Committee, and the family. The Minister said this solution will increase the memorial’s visibility and make it easier to pay tribute to Sebastião Gomes.
Gil da Costa Monteiro thanked the November 12th Committee and the family of Sebastião Gomes for their cooperation in finding a solution for the project, emphasising the importance of transferring the remains to preserve the memory of the 1991 events.
“We will transfer the remains of our brother Sebastião Gomes to this site, near the entrance to Santa Cruz, to honour his memory, particularly on November 12th. As the grave is far from the cemetery entrance, some people may not be able to reach it. Here, even those who do not come to lay flowers can pass by and pay tribute. This is part of valuing the history of the national liberation struggle,” he stated.
During the ceremony, the Minister also emphasised the need to preserve the testimonies of participants in the national liberation struggle and issued a special call to the survivors of November 12th to record in writing their experiences and participation in the resistance.
Gil da Costa Monteiro warned that part of this memory could be lost if the testimonies of those who lived through this period remain solely oral. “Tomorrow or the day after, when we are no longer here, if people cannot read our history either, we will have a major problem. Therefore, you must write your history, because writing is important,” he added.
The Minister also stressed that the recognition of those who died during the struggle for independence does not depend on the location of their remains or on whether they are recovered. “Regardless of whether the remains are found or not, we must honour and pay our tribute to those who gave their lives,” he declared.
The foundation-stone-laying ceremony included a traditional ritual led by a representative of the lia-na’in (literally “master of the word – a traditional cultural authority).
The Minister also called on the company responsible for the work to comply with the contractual terms, particularly the execution deadline and the quality of construction.
The Sebastião Gomes Memorial aims to preserve his memory and highlight his role in the events preceding the November 12th, 1991, Massacre and in the national liberation struggle.
On October 1st, 2026, in Abu Dhabi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State, Noura bint Mohamed Al Kaabi, to discuss the development of bilateral cooperation and to follow up on the understandings reached during the UAE official’s visit to Timor-Leste from August 31st to September 1st of this year.
The meeting, held at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the development of projects and initiatives in areas of mutual interest and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The sectors discussed included trade and investment, infrastructure, health, human resources development, diplomatic training, and labour mobility. The two sides also reviewed cooperation in digitising public administration, strengthening people-to-people relations, and water security.
In this area, the delegation discussed ways to expand cooperation in the context of the United Nations Water Conference, to be held in Abu Dhabi from December 8th to 10th, 2026 and co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas and Noura Al Kaabi also addressed processes related to agreements on double taxation avoidance and investment protection, as well as UAE support for Timor-Leste’s preparations to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments in the Middle East and the Pacific.
The meeting built on the dialogue held in Dili at the end of August during Noura Al Kaabi’s first official visit to Timor-Leste. On that occasion, both countries identified areas for strengthening cooperation, including trade and investment, health, human resources development, institutional capacity building, and digital transformation. The UAE also said it is ready to provide technical support and share its experience to support Timor-Leste’s preparations for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas’s visit to Abu Dhabi followed his participation in the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and included other diplomatic engagements.
On October 1st, the Minister met with Ambassadors from ASEAN Member States accredited to the UAE, briefing them on Timor-Leste’s integration process with the organisation and its preparations for the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship.
The following day, he held meetings with Ambassadors from Member States of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) and with diplomatic representatives from Pacific island nations. The meetings focused, respectively, on cooperation and alignment within the CPLP and on shared challenges facing small island states and on cooperation in multilateral forums.
The itinerary also included a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on October 3rd and a visit to the Embassy of Timor-Leste in the United Arab Emirates on October 5th, where the Minister observed the mission’s operations and met with Ambassador Rui Hanjam and Timorese diplomats.
The Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the United Arab Emirates, Rui Hanjam, accompanied the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation during his key engagements in Abu Dhabi.
On October 5th, 2026, in Dili, the Ministry of Education initiated a series of meetings and working sessions with a delegation from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) and the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta to develop the new curriculum framework for Timor-Leste’s general senior secondary and vocational secondary education.
The SEAMEO delegation is led by Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the organisation’s Secretariat, who is in Dili to participate in joint work with the Ministry of Education and UNESCO on curriculum revision.
The Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, received the delegation and emphasised that the senior secondary school curriculum reform aims to equip students with knowledge and skills tailored to current educational needs and to their future options, whether to continue to higher education or enter the workforce.
“Curriculum reform for senior secondary education is a priority for the Ministry of Education, particularly to equip students with relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies,” stated the Minister.
The work includes analysing the current state of senior secondary education and reform requirements and defining the guiding principles for the new curriculum framework. The process will consider Timor-Leste’s sociocultural, political, and economic reality, national identity, and international and regional educational standards, including those of ASEAN.
Planned focus areas include character building and citizenship, history, the natural sciences, the social sciences and humanities, mathematics, and technology. The new curriculum will also foster critical and analytical thinking and the development of digital skills.
The review of senior secondary education builds on the curriculum reform previously initiated in primary and secondary schools (Years 1–9). The new curriculum for Secondary School (Years 7–9) began implementation in Year 7 in 2026, will expand to Year 8 in 2027, and is scheduled for full implementation by 2028.
Under the partnership between the Ministry of Education, SEAMEO, and UNESCO, the team has already completed a preliminary document analysis. The current phase involves consultations with officials from the Ministry of Education, curriculum teams, school leaders, teachers, students, and higher education institutions.
The Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Habibah Abdul Rahim, affirmed that the organisation is committed to supporting the Ministry of Education in revising the general senior secondary school curriculum for Years 10, 11, and 12.
“We also need to hear from higher education institutions about student preparation in schools that provide access to higher education. Thus, beyond the document review, we will engage these stakeholders before drafting the report that will form the basis of the curriculum framework. However, the process will not conclude at that stage, as a second round of consultations will follow,” she explained.
The joint work among the Ministry of Education, SEAMEO, and UNESCO will take place over several days in Dili to help prepare the new curriculum framework ahead of the public consultation.
Timor-Leste has been a member of SEAMEO since 2006. The regional organisation promotes cooperation among Southeast Asian nations in education, science, and culture. UNESCO, through its Regional Office in Jakarta, also supports Timor-Leste in various areas of educational system development.