Meeting of the Council of Ministers of October 23, 2019
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of October 23, 2019
The Council of Ministers met at the government Palace in Dili and analyzed the master plan for the requalification of the Dili International Airport, presented by the Interministerial Commission for the negotiation of financial support for the requalification of the President Nicolau Lobato International Airport. Established on 24 May 2019, the Inter-ministerial Commission is chaired by the Minister of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and includes the Interim Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Minister of Public Works and by the Minister of Transport and Communications. The Interministerial Commission, together with the Interministerial Working Group for the President Nicolau Lobato International Airport Development Project, has worked on the analysis of technical, social, environmental and financial requirements of the options for the extension of the runway and for the requalification of the airport terminal.
The Council of Ministers also heard a presentation by TNA Solution regarding a private investment proposal in the urban waste management sector. This consortium intends to invest in a waste collection and treatment management program in the municipality of Dili, in a project that does not require any governmental investment, and which aims to transform Tibar's dump into a waste treatment plant, which includes water treatment, recycling and fertilizer production.
The Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary affairs, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, presented two draft laws, approved by the Council of Ministers, concerning the Legal Regime of Voluntary Arbitration and the legislative authorization for the Amendment of the Civil Procedure Code. The draft laws aim to improve and strengthen the justice administration system, so that it offers all citizens a judicial service that ensures the objective, impartial, equitable, useful and efficient resolution of disputes.
The Minister for Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs also presented a draft resolution to the national Parliament for the accession of Timor-Leste to the New York Convention of 1958 on the recognition and execution of foreign arbitral sentences. As the New York Convention constitutes an essential pillar of international arbitration and has already been ratified by 161 States, the accession of Timor-Leste constitutes an important incentive to intensify foreign trade relations and to help promote foreign investment.
The Council of Ministers approved the proposal for a Government resolution, presented by the Minister for Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs, approving the rules of procedure of the Council of Ministers. The revision of the rules of procedure seeks to reinforce the moment of the decision to legislate, properly guiding the legislative process, in order to fulfill the plans of the Government's Organic to reinforce the political control of the Council of Ministers on the activities of legislative reform, especially of the Prime Minister in exercising the powers of leadership of Government action.
The Minister of Defense, Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus, presented a resolution of the Government, approved by the Council of Ministers, concerning the total amount of recruits to be hired for FALINTIL - Defense Forces of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL). As such, in te year 2020 a total of 600 people will be recruited to join F-FDTL.
The Minister of Public Works, Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires and the Director of the National Procurement Commission (CNA), Aniceto do Rosário, presented a proposal for deliberation, approved by the Council of Ministers, for the reopening of the public tender for the light fuel supply to the Hera power plant for the years 2019 and 2020, due to the withdrawal of one of the companies that was part of the consortium which won the first the first tender.
The Director of the CNA also presented a proposal of deliberation for the award of the construction contract of the new District Court of Dili, with the procurement process completed with impartiality and transparency and confirmation that winning company has fulfilled all the necessary requirements. This project will be financed with budget from the Infrastructure Fund.
The Council of Ministers approved a message in which it addresses warm congratulations to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo and the Vice-President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ma'ruf Amin, on their swearing-in, wishing both the greatest success in the performance of the high positions for which they have been called.
Finally, the Acting Minister of State Administration, Abílio José Caetano, gave a presentation on the natural disasters and destruction of houses and other properties that have affected several areas of the country and the Council of Ministers deliberated the attribution of humanitarian support to the affected population. The Ministry of State Administration, together with other relevant ministries, will identify all the necessary details for the distribution of this support. ENDS
