The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, met with the President of the Red Cross of Timor-Leste (CVTL), Madalena  Hanjan, on June 16, at the Government Palace in Dili.

Discussed during the meeting were the ongoing CVTL projects, the Government’s plans for stabilization and economic recovery and the articulation of government cooperation with the CVTL.

CVTL volunteers and employees have been working with the Ministry of Health in responding to COVID-19, with various actions such as the creation of health facilities and quarantine centers, in actions to raise awareness of the prevention of the spread of the new coronavirus, installation of hand wash infrastructures and the recruitment of nurses and doctors. In addition, they have also been involved in dengue prevention, with actions in all national municipalities.

The Minister asked the President of CVTL to carry out a report with the projects of the organization and with the support needs from the Government and expressed the readiness to coordinate with other members Government to provide support to CVTL.

Fidelis Magalhães also explained the measures present in the stabilization plan, which will lay the foundation for the implementation of the economic recovery plan to be drawn up by the Commission led by former Finance Minister Rui Gomes. He added that the measures included in the stabilisation plan were created to contribute to the Ministry of Health’s effort to reduce the movement of citizens and to encourage social distancing, to anticipate a possible lack of food in the market caused by a possible breakdown in supply chains and to support citizens and the private sector affected by the contraction of the economy and to cope with a decrease in the purchasing power of citizens.

Among the various measures addressed, the Minister highlighted measures to support employment and monetary support to households under the COVID-19 pandemic, which aim to promote economic activity by enabling consumption to be maintained, to help private sector activity and to avoid unemployment.

He also pointed out that the main objective of the rice bought by the Government is to strengthen the stock of rice in the country and to address a possible shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing the importance of ensuring that the distribution of food does not jeopardize or cause negative effects on local production and private sector activity, given that the market remains stable, without reducing the amount of existing goods and without significant increase in inflation. A massive distribution of food could have harmful effects on private sector activity and domestic production, it would cause unemployment and more social problems.