……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on February 19th, 2021
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the Law Proposal Draft on the Second Amendment to Law no. 11/2009, of October 7th, on the Administrative Division of the Territory, proposed by the Minister of the State Administration, Miguel Pereira de Carvalho. Through this Law Proposal draft, to be submitted to the National Parliament, the intention is to create a new first-level administrative district, the Municipality of Ataúro, whose territory, the Atauro Island, is the base of the now Administrative Post of Ataúro, Municipality of Dili, which is extinct. It is also intended to create of the Administrative Post of Hatulia B, in the Municipality of Ermera, through the division of the administrative district corresponding to the Administrative Post of Hatulia. In the Municipality of Lautém, with the proposed amendment, the Administrative Post of Loré is created, by splitting the administrative district corresponding to the Administrative Post of Lospalos.
The Government has decided to propose to His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, the state of emergency’s renewal, for another thirty days. Given the worrying developments in the epidemiological situation and the surge of COVID-19 infection registered cases, both at regional and global levels, and in order to avoid and neutralise the risks of 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 renewal of the state of emergency, the suspension or restriction of some fundamental rights and guarantees, may be allowed.
Lastly, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, Longuinhos dos Santos, presented the political-legislative-options underlying the legislative project for the creation of financial guarantee for the “Higher Education Quality +” credit line, aimed at the financial support of Accredited Private Higher Education Educational Institutions. The options presented for the creation of a credit line with reduced interest rates have the main objective of improving the quality of higher education, given that, with access to finance, these institutions will be able to improve their infrastructure and train their human resources. END