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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of August 26, 2020
The Council of Ministers met, at Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Decree Law draft on the Ministry of Planning and Territory Organic Law, presented by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Territory, José Maria dos Reis. The Ministry of Planning and Territory is the government department responsible for the policy design, coordination and evaluation, defined and approved by the Council of Ministers, for the country economic and social development promotion areas, through strategic and integrated planning and rationalization of available financial resources, assuming specific responsibilities on the Strategic Development Plan implementation, especially regarding to Infrastructure and Urban Planning, Petroleum and Minerals, Planning and Territory.
The Council of Ministers also approved the Decree Law draft, presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mrs Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, with the first amendment to the Decree-Law no 20/2019, of July 31st, on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Organic Law. This amendment aims to make the necessary adjustments, in accordance with the 8th Constitutional Government Organic Law amendments, namely by the extinction of services, as well as carry out the structural adjustment to the Ministry internal services, to comply with the good governance, transparency and institutional management criteria, specifically with the introduction of General-Secretariat coordination powers and the creation of new national directorates, with their own functional competences, to avoid possible conflicting interests.
The Council of Ministers approved the Law Proposal draft on the 2020 General State Budget (GSB), presented by the Vice Minister of Finance, Mrs Sara Lobo Brites, with a total amount of US$ 1.497 billion, to cover the Government program needs and national priorities, defined by the 8th Constitutional Government, namely at the social and economic sectors stabilization levels, and the institutional reform processes underway. The document comprises the response to COVID-19 related expenditures and to the economic recovery measures. The Government members also discussed the necessary schedule adjustments for the 2020 and 2021 GSB preparation, so that this two documents may be delivered to the National Parliament on September 15th and October 15th, respectively.
The Government decided to propose to His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, the state of emergency extension for thirty days. Given the worrying growth of the epidemiological situation and the surge of COVID-19 infection registered cases, both at a regional and global levels, and with a view to avoiding and neutralizing the risks SARS-CoV-2 spreading, thus protecting public health and the National Health System response capacity, the Government proposes to the President of the Republic that, through the extension of the state of emergency statement, the rights of international circulation, movement and establishment of residence and right of resistance suspension or restriction may be allowed.
The Council of Ministers approved the introduction of some amendments to the Decree-Law, already approved, but still to be promulgated by the President of the Republic, regarding the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) Disciplinary Regulation. This Decree-Law revises the current PNTL Disciplinary Regulation, approved in 2004 and which is currently outdated, given the institution needs and the PNTL development and professionalising goals. The new regulation aims to provide the PNTL with a set of rules that guarantee institutional and professional discipline, towards the true legal objectives of a modern police force, created to defend citizens and to discipline the fundamental relations of life in society.
The Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Territory, José Maria dos Reis, presented to the Council of Ministers the political-legislative options underlying the draft of the National Development Agency (ADN) new bylaw. The preparation of this new ADN bylaw aims to clarify the mission, attributions and structure of this institution services, as well as his interaction with other State institutions. END