Meeting of the Council of Ministers on November 11th, 2021
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Eighth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on November 11th, 2021
The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved the draft Resolution Proposal of the National Parliament for the ratification of Timor-Leste's accession to the 1973 Convention on the International Regulation to Prevent Collisions at Sea. The draft Resolution Proposal was presented by the Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva. This Convention, designed to ensure the safety of navigation, establishes the navigation rules to be followed by ships and other vessels at sea, to prevent collisions between two or more vessels.
The draft Government Resolution, presented by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, regarding to the National Strategy for Social Protection (ENPS - Portuguese Acronym) for the period 2021 – 2030, was also approved.
The aim of the approval of this strategy is to promote the integrated evolution of the social protection system, in order to extend its coverage and reach, and to maximize its impact on reducing poverty and vulnerability.
The strategy also aims to consolidate the rights to social security and social assistance, as well as inclusive access to social services, education and health. The ENPS sets, as strategic objectives, poverty reduction, improvement and expansion of social security for workers and institutional development.
The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication (MAPCOMS), Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, for the establishment of an allowance for professionals who developed journalistic activities, requested by the Government, to provide news about the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the state of emergency.
These professionals performed their duties in an exemplary way, actively contributing to the dissemination of credible and necessary information on preventing and fighting the pandemic in our national territory.
The list of professionals who will benefit from this allowance will be approved by MAPCOMS’s dispatch, based on information provided by the Situation Room of the Integrated Centre for Crisis Management or by the National Directorate for Dissemination of Information.
Lastly, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos and the Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo, as President and Vice-President, respectively, of the Interministerial Commission for the Elaboration and Coordination of the Implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the state of play of the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.
The vaccination of young people aged between 12 and 17 years old began on October 27th and, until yesterday, November 10th, a total of 15,002 young people under 18 years of age had already received their first dose of the vaccine.
For those over 18 years of age, 76.4% have already received at least one dose and 51% of the population has completed the vaccination.
The three municipalities with the highest percentage of vaccination are Covalima (93%), Viqueque (90.7%) and Dili (83.4%).
The municipalities with the lowest percentage of vaccination are Ermera (59.8%), Liquiçá (63.1%) and Bobonaro (63.6%). THE END
