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Dili, January 13th, 2015
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers from January 13th, 2015
The Government met on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, in the Council of Minister’s meeting room, at the Government Palace in Dili, and approved six diplomas:
1. Decree- Law approving the Statute of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno
Following the approval of Law nº 3 / 2014 of July 18 – which created the Special Administrative Region of Oe-cusse Ambeno and the Special Economic Zone of Social Economy of Oe-cusse Ambeno and Atauro, defining the bases by which they are governed – this diploma is to regulate the application of the principles, rights and established powers, as well as the organization and functioning of the bodies of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-cusse Ambeno, indispensable for the governance and the administration, and of the Special Zone of Social Market Economy of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and Atauro.
2. Government Decree approving the remuneration of the Governor and Vice-Governors of the Central Bank
This Government Decree sets out the remuneration for executive members of the Board of Directors of Timor-Leste Central Bank, which is for the Government to define, in accordance with nº 1 of Article 47 of Law nº 5/2011. The established values take into account the remuneration attributed of the executive nature of positions at major financial institutions, and the opinion of the Board of Directors of Timor-Leste Central Bank.
3. Decree- Law approving the Legal Framework for the Minimum Standard Curriculum for Higher Education
Established in 2006, the Minimum Standard Curriculum for Higher Education is now updated and modernized to meet the latest demands of the global labour market. The Minimum Standard Curriculum is a basic standardization, reflecting the educational policy of Timor-Leste, in response to current national, regional and international contexts, as well as the general characteristics for specific training required for the practice of certain professions. The minimum level of knowledge and skills necessary for professional qualifications are specified, as well as the legal requirements in terms of subjects to be offered, the minimum course load, time-class and the sequence of minimum curriculum contents.
The crediting system is also defined, being relevant to consider the minimum course load, in order to allow students’ transferability between national and international institutions. On the other hand, it allows the recognition of the diplomas obtained abroad at national level and facilitates the recognition process of the diplomas obtained in an international higher education establishment.
4. Draft Law of Local Government and Administrative Decentralization
The V Constitutional Government Program recommends the effective introduction of an administrative stratification – the Municipality – under the Strategic Development Plan, through a gradual process of local administrative structures installation that will culminate in the election of the local representative bodies. Thus, this Draft Law establishes the organization, composition and powers of the Local Government bodies as well as the legal framework for the State administrative decentralization.
5. First amendment to the Law of Territorial Administrative Division
Law Nº 11/2009 October 7 (Administrative Division of the Territory) proceeded to the administrative division of the country in thirteen municipalities, those resulting from the aggregation of the old districts and sub- districts and each of which corresponding to a unit of Local Governance .
Four years after the publication of this legal diploma, there has been the need to include the provision of infra-municipalities administrative areas to facilitate the design of an organizational model of public administration which complies properly with the principles of devolution and administrative decentralization, enshrined in the constitution.
The reorganization of the State local administration, through the creation of Administrative Pre-devolution structures, provides for a set of services that may be carried out in an infra-municipal context, favouring a more effective and efficient delivery of services to citizens. The Administrative Pre-devolution Structures have a precarious nature, once they seek to ensure, simultaneously, a better provision of public services throughout the territory and the ability to ensure, in the districts, the local interests by the Local Government representative bodies, when municipalities are effectively established. However, the need to ensure the provision of essential public services at infra-municipal level will continue to exist.
This diploma, preserving the territory’s administrative division in thirteen municipalities already foreseen, reintroduces the infra-municipal areas, existing until the entry into force of Law nº 11/2009 October 7, but under the name of Administrative Posts.
6. Decree-Law approving the Regulation of Decoration Medal of Defence and of the F-FDTL
The Statute of the Military Forces of FALINTIL – Timor-Leste Defence Forces (F- FDTL) disciplines a military career, establishing the assessment of the merits of the military in implementing their mission and making it a distinctive factor in career development.
This law defines the decorations to be granted, by Defence and F-FDTL, the military that stand out in the service of the Institution and the Nation, and the conditions for its attribution.