The Vice-Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites, participated in the opening of the Budgetary Policy and Public Finance Seminar, which is taking place in the Auditorium of Baucau Pousada, between the 15th and 17th of July 2020.

This Seminar is being organized jointly by the National Parliament, through the Committee C (Public Finance Committee) and the European Union, through the project Osan Povu Nian, Jere Ho Di’ak, within the scope of component 2 of the Partnership to improve service delivery through strengthening public finance management and supervision” (PFMO-component 2).

Sara Lobo Brites participated as speaker in the panel dedicated to Budget Policy, Economic Development and Financing of Public Expenditures and in the panel related to the Financial Management Regime.

The seminar was attended by 13 members of the National Parliament, 5 speakers and 18 officials from the support services to Committees, financial services and internal audit office of the National Parliament, with activity in various areas of the National Parliament and directly involved in the preparation, analysis and writing of technical documents, reports and opinions, technical analysis or legislative initiatives within the scope of Budget and Public Finances.

The PFMO Component 2 aims at strengthening the capacity of state and non-states actors (European Union Delegation in Timor-Leste, Ministry of Finance, National Parliament, Chamber of Auditors, Anti-Corruption Commission, Scientific Police for Criminal Investigation, State General Inspection, civil society organizations and the media), so that they can participate fully in the decision-making process and in the supervision of the use of public finances, for a better provision of public services.

This project is the result of an agreement between the European Union and Camões, IP, which is also responsible for implementation, in close collaboration with the National Authorizing Officer and the national institutions.

Besides the Vice-Minister of Finance, also participated in the seminar the Vice-President of the National Parliament, MP Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento, in representation of the President of the National Parliament, the President of Committee C, Maria Angélica dos Reis, the Portuguese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, José Pedro Machado Vieira and the European Union Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Andrew Jacobs.