Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers from October 2nd, 2014
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
V Constitutional Government
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Dili, October 2nd, 2014
Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers from October 2nd, 2014
The Government met extraordinarily this Thursday, October 2nd, 2014, in the Council of Ministers’ meeting room, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved:
1. Draft Law approving the State General Budget of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste for 2015
The Draft Law of the State General Budget (SGB) for 2015 includes all revenues and expenditures of the State of Timor-Leste and covers the period from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2015. The total estimated for revenues from all sources (oil, non-oil, tax and non tax revenues and revenues from loans) of the SGB for this period is $ 2,530.5 million U.S. dollars. Budget allocations, in U.S. dollars, are as follows:
1 - $184,051 millions of dollars for Salaries and Wages;
2 - $504,672 millions of dollars for Goods and Services;
3 - $340,255 millions of dollars for Public Transfers;
4 - $36,713 millions of dollars for Minor Capital;
5 - $504,310 millions of dollars for Development Capital.
The total estimated expenditure of the SGB is 1,570,001 millions of dollars.
The estimated expenditure for services and autonomous funds in 2015 is $19.3 millions of dollars, of which $11,7 millions are transferred from the State Budget, in order to subsidize expenses that exceed their own revenue.
The total budget allocation to the Infrastructure Fund, is $433,996 millions including loans, and $363,995 millions excluding loans. The balance carried over from the year 2014 according to the law, is $11.1 millions of dollars.
The total budget allocation to the Fund for Human Capital Development is $31.1 millions, of which $2.1 millions is the balance carried over from the year 2014, in accordance with the law.
Non-oil revenues are estimated at $170.4 millions of dollars, including those from the autonomous services and funds.
2. Government Resolution that approves a donation to fight the Ebola virus
The Government has decided to approve the granting of financial support to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry, in the amount of two million dollars, through the g7+ organization.
The Ebola virus outbreak in Western Africa has already led the World Health Organization to declare "international emergency". The number of deaths in the most affected countries in that part of the World (Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) is around three thousand. Seven other neighbours are on high alert. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry face a disastrous situation caused by the spread of the virus.
This measure of the Government of Timor-Leste is taken given the humanitarian needs, particularly in terms of food, drinking water and sanitation, coming from the epidemic, especially as many of the infected zones are areas of extreme poverty, where hospitals lack of means to control the spread of the disease.
Health organizations in these countries, whether public or private, need all the support from development partners to cope with this global threat, namely: material for information campaigns in schools, public services and health clinics, medical kits, training of health workers in infection control procedures, etc.
The Council of Ministers also analysed:
1. Presentation of long-term tax policy
The Ministry of Finance presented to the Council of Ministers a projection about the future of the financial sustainability of Timor-Leste, focusing on the long term (fifty years) financing of the Government expenditures.
2. Celebration of the Day of Proclamation of Independence
The Ministry of State Administration presented to the Council of Ministers a status report on planned activities for the celebrations of the 28 of November, a day that celebrates the Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, highlighting security, infrastructure and health measures being provided.
