Meeting of the Council of Ministers on july 14, 2021
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 14, 2021
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili and, after analysing the presentation of the national epidemiological situation, by the Situation Room of the Integrated Centre for Crisis Management, the Council of Ministers decided to approve the draft Government Resolution which maintains the imposition of the sanitary fence in the municipality of Dili, for another 14 days, until 11:59 p.m. on July 29th. Thus, the prohibition of circulation of people between the Dili municipality and other administrative districts is maintained, except in duly justified cases for reasons of public safety, public health, humanitarian assistance, maintenance of the public supply systems or the achievement of public interest. Individuals who provide proof of full vaccination (two doses) against COVID-19, as well as minors under six years of age accompanying them, are not covered by this prohibition of circulation. It was also decided that the integrated control centres for entry and exit of the municipality of Dili are now open 24 hours a day and every day of the week.
The draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, José Lucas do Carmo da Silva, for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 10/2018, of April 9th, that approved the Statute of the Institute for the Quality of Timor-Leste (IQTL), was approved. This proposal amends the composition of the bodies and the binding requirements of the IQTL, increasing the number of members and specifying the competences attributed to each of the IQTL’s bodies. It is also intended to harmonize the categories of members of the IQTL’s bodies with the positions that are equivalent to them.
The Council of Ministers watched the presentation on the preparation of Timor-Leste’s participation in the Summit on Food Systems, given by the Vice Minister of the Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Julião da Silva. The summit will take place in parallel with the 76th United Nations General Assembly, in September 2021, and will be preceded by a three-day pre-summit, organized by Italy, from July 26th to 28th 2021, at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters (FAO) in Rome. The aim of this Food Systems Summit is to launch, in the broader context of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, bold actions aimed at transforming the way the world produces and consumes food, in order to ensure the long-lasting capacity of food for sustainably feed the world’s growing population.
The members of the Council of Ministers also watched the presentation regarding the National Action Plan for the Consolidation of Food Security and Nutrition, given by the Scaling Up Nutrition “Sun Movement” Focal Points. The plan proposes a set of indicators, goals and priorities to achieve the major objective of eradicating hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture, in order to ensure universal access to safe and nutritious food and eradication of all forms of malnutrition.
The authorization for the opening of a public tender procurement procedure for the acquisition of two industrial fishing boats, with a capacity of 250 GT each, was approved, according to the project presented by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Pedro dos Reis.
The Council of Ministers decided to approve a new vaccination strategy against COVID-19 for each municipality, which involves mobilizing the maximum resources for vaccination in each municipality, according to the define schedule, starting in the municipalities at higher risk, until it reaches all municipalities in the country.
The Council of Ministers decided to direct the ministers, in the coordinated exercise of their competencies, to take all actions and measures to immunize the entire population against SARS-CoV-2, particularly the age group between 12-17 years.
The Council of Ministers approved the disaggregated ceilings of the 2022 General State Budget (GSB), presented by the Vice Minister of Finance, Sara Lobo Brites. The Council of Ministers also resolved to set the aggregate ceiling in the amount of 1,571.6 million, to cover the six national priorities for the 2022 General State Budget defined by the Government: 1) development of human capital (education, professional training and health); 2) housing and social inclusion; 3) productive sectors (agriculture and tourism), environment and connectivity; 4) private sector development; 5) rural development; and 6) good governance.
The Vice Minister of Finance also gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the 2021 Timor-Leste & Development Partners Meeting (TLDPM) which will take place at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, on the next July 30th. The TLDPM will be preceded by bilateral meetings, on July 27th, a meeting on regional economic integration, on July 28th, and a forum of the World Trade Organization on July 29th. This meeting with development partners is organized annually by the Government to share its vision for the future, articulate medium-term priorities and reflect on the progress made in national development.
Lastly, the Council of Ministers approved a note of condolence for the death of Carmel Budiardjo, a human rights activist and defender of Timorese independence. In the note of condolence, the Government states that Carmel Budiardjo “will never be forgotten in Timor-Leste and that she will be forever remembered with great affection, admiration and respect for her commitment to human rights, justice and solidarity”. END
