……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Dili, July 21st, 2015
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 21st, 2015
The Council of Ministers met on Tuesday, July 21st, 2015, in the meeting room of the Council of Ministers, at the Government Palace in Dili, and approved:
1. Government Resolution that recognizes Scouting and the National Union of Scouts of Timor-Leste
Through this law, the Government recognizes the Scouting and the National Union of Scouts of Timor-Leste (NUS-TL).
Scouting activities have been undertaken in Timor-Leste since 1972. Scouts are a non-political and non-governmental organization aimed at the comprehensive training of young people, based on the volunteerism of its members. This movement, based on the methodology and principles of Baden Powell, complements the role of family, school and religion and develops the character of young people, promoting a spirit of citizenship and encouraging participation in the building of community.
2. Proposal of a “Sucos Law”
At a time when the State is preparing to introduce a framework for Local Government, the Council of Ministers approved the Draft “Sucos Law”, which will soon be presented to the National Parliament for approval. This proposal defines the nature of Sucos, in accordance with the guidelines of the Court of Appeal, clarifies the framework of supervisory tasks and powers, introduces changes in the election process of community leaders and establishes rules to ensure their transparency, impartiality and responsibility towards the members of their communities.
These amendments to the legal framework of Sucos seeks to endorse and strengthen their authority, define their role towards the institutions of the State and Local Power entities, and avoid overlapping of functions between the community organizations, the Special Administrative Region Authority of Oe-cusse Ambeno and the municipalities.
3. Fifth Amendment to the Government Decree No. 2/2007, of August 1st, regulating the statute of holders of State bodies
This diploma adds an article to the Government Decree No. 2/2007, of August 1st, which guarantees to Government officials, during the exercise of their mandate, the right to undertake regular health Check-Ups abroad, until the creation of a social security system and suitable conditions in hospitals of the National Health Service.
4. Decree-Law establishing the Structure of the Ministry of Finance
The Ministry of Finance, according to the Structure of the Sixth Constitutional Government, “is the central Government body responsible for the design, execution, coordination and assessment of the policy defined and approved by the Council of Ministers for the areas of budget and finance annual planning monitoring.”
This diploma defines the structure of the Ministry of Finance in order to contribute to the effective management of public finances, based on data processing systems and the provision of transparent accounting. It follows guidelines in the Strategic Development Plan and the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Finance, properly framed with the economic and social needs of the country.
This structure also reflects recent legislative options for funding, including the establishment of public-private partnerships and the Government debt arrangements, as well as the ongoing reforms, including adequate services for their monitoring.
5. Government Resolution on investments in exploration and research in Timor-Leste
Taking into account the need to deepen the knowledge of the country in terms of the potential of mineral resources, the Council of Ministers decided to budget for the next three years, the amount of fifty million US dollars, with the objective of carrying out geological and geophysical studies to enable the assessment of the national potential in hydrocarbons and minerals.
6. Decree-Law that defines the appointment and assigning regime for the Ministry of the Interior’s liaison officers, as well as the regime for the involvement of the security forces and services as well as civil protection officers in international missions
This Decree-Law, in a single act, establishes two activity regimes for staff of the Ministry of the Interior in international bodies or missions.
One of the regimes describes the role of the Ministry of the Interior’s liaison officers (from the National Police of Timor-Leste or Migration Service) and regulates the appointment and commissioning to international organizations and embassies, diplomatic missions and consulates of Timor-Leste.
The other regime refers to the participation of the Security Forces and Services and Civil Protection officers at the Ministry of the Interior in international missions resulting from international commitments of the Timorese State. These include humanitarian missions, peace support and civil crisis management, as well as police cooperation activities and civil protection, undertaken in the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives and safety and other international agreements signed by Timor-Leste.