The Minister of State Administration, Jorge da Conceição Teme, along with the Secretary of State for Administrative Decentralisation, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, inducted the 406 members of the Local Advisory Council from the districts of Aileu, Díli, Ermera, Liquiçá and Manatuto. The ceremony took place on August 12th, at the building of the Administration of Díli, in Matadouro.

In his speech, Jorge Teme referred the importance that the Local Advisory Council shall assume and “that consists in providing advice, proposing creative and even critical ideas”. The Minister Intends that this structure, “along with the Permanent Council, at district level, and the Permanent Workgroup, at national level, will come to organize what is usually called ‘administrative deconcentration’, so that one day we can benefit from the decentralization of our services to the public”.

 “The Local Advisory Council should match the confidence given by the Associations, which aggregate representatives of the Veterans, of Youth, of Political Parties and Civil and Religious Society. Given its comprehensive nature, the Council receives opinions on every aspects related to well-being, as well as about the process to achieve it, and with the compliance of the expectations about the future establishment of Municipalities”, revealed Jorge Teme.

The Minister requested every newly-inducted member to commit themselves to the exercise of their role, by adopting a stance which, instead of showing personal, regional or cultural selfishness, either in defence of the interests of the State or of the People in general.

Tomás Cabral, on his turn, praised the representatives from the five districts – Aileu, Díli, Ermera, Liquiçá and Manatuto – who gathered in Díli, for the availability in accepting the position as members of the Local Advisory Councils.

According to the Secretary of State for Administrative Decentralization, the Local Advisory Councils are comprised of representatives from the private sector, women’s organizations, elders, local authorities and veterans. According to the Law, it is for the Advisory Council the duty of issuing opinions, aiming to support the District Permanent Technical Team.