Meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 18, 2021
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Eighth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 18, 2021
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and deliberated to authorize the Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Víctor da Conceição Soares, to initiate the necessary and urgent diligences, in view to the possibility of lease with option to purchase, or acquisition, of suitable facilities to accommodate all the services of the Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals, which are currently located in several places throughout the city of Dili.
The draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes, to create the Integrated Management Unit for the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport Development Project (UGIP) was approved. This Unit, which will be under the direct dependence of the Interministerial Commission for the negotiation of financial support for the requalification of Nicolau Lobato International Airport (AINL), is a temporary structure for the implementation of the project that will continue with the centralised technical and strategic management of the execution of the AINL project in all its components and all its phases.
The Council of Ministers decided to authorize the Minister of Finance to negotiate, with the Asian Development Bank, the specific conditions of the loan for the project of modernization of the power supply. Considering that the initial negotiations must be developed by a technical team led by the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Finance may appoint, by ministerial order, the members to integrate this negotiation team.
After the analysis of the presentation on the point of the national epidemiological situation, given by the Situation Room of the Integrated Centre for Crisis Management, the Council of Ministers decided to propose to His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, the renewal of the state of emergency, for another thirty days. Given that the determining causes that justified the declaration of the state of emergency and its renewal remain in place, in order to prevent and neutralize the risks of spread of new strains of SARS-CoV-2 and thus protect public health and the response capacity of the National Health System, the Government proposes to the President of the Republic that, with the renewal of the state of emergency, the suspension or restriction of some fundamental rights and guarantees be allowed.
Also approved were the draft Government Resolution that maintains the imposition of the sanitary fence in the areas covered by Village (Suco) Naimeco, in Pante Macassar Administrative Post, and Village (Suco) Bobometo, in Oesilo Administrative Post, both in Oe-Cusse Ambeno Special Administrative Region, until August 30th, 2021, 11:59 pm.
Thus, the prohibition of movement of persons between the said areas and the other administrative districts is maintained, except in cases duly justified on grounds of public safety, public health, humanitarian assistance, maintenance of public supply systems or the achievement of public interest. Individuals who provide proof of full vaccination (two doses) against COVID-19, as well as accompanying minors under the age of six years are not covered by this movement ban.
The Minister of Finance presented to the Council of Ministers the political-legislative options underlying the proposals for the creation of a food allowance and a transport allowance for public servants. The options presented for the transport allowance foresee the substitution of the attribution of State vehicles for this allowance, significantly reducing management and maintenance costs with vehicles. The options presented for the food allowance foresee the monthly attribution of locally produced food to civil servants. The creation of these two allowances will be subject to review and deliberation at the next meeting of the Executive. END
