Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 17th, 2022

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Eighth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 17th, 2022

The Council of Ministers met, at the Government Palace, in Dili, and approved five draft Decree-Law projects, presented by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.

The draft Decree-Law concerning the Organic Law of the Secretariat of State for Timorese Communities Abroad. This Secretariat of State, which is under the direct dependence of the Prime Minister, seeks to respond to the concerns of the Timorese living abroad. The objective of this new Secretariat of State is to strengthen the ties that unite Timorese citizens living abroad and the Timorese State. With this service, it is intended that Timorese citizens living abroad may have easier access to an important set of public services. This Secretariat of State will also have the function of disseminating information on the Timor-Leste development process to Timorese communities in the diaspora and mobilising them to promote Timor-Leste abroad.

The draft Decree-Law on the regulation of the National Liberation Combatants Fund. This decree-law regulates the National Liberation Combatants Fund and establishes the model for the investment of the fund’s resources, to generate income and ensure its continuity. This fund, which will have an initial allocation of US$ 1,000,000,000.00 (one billion US dollars) will be an autonomous fund with administrative, financial and patrimonial autonomy. The objective of the fund is to finance support programmes for National Liberation Combatants, namely in the areas of social support, education, health, employment, access to credit and income-generating activities. The fund will also be responsible for the payment of the single cash benefit foreseen in the Statute of the National Liberation Combatants.

The Draft Decree-Law that grants the right to decent accommodation to F-FDTL military personnel on duty and active service and to members of the PNTL, who, for service reasons, have to move to a different municipality from the one where they have their habitual residence. This right is materialised through the installation of F-FDTL military personnel on duty and on active service, and members of the PNTL who, for reasons of service, have to move to a different municipality from the one where they have their habitual residence, in a house made available by the State. The State may provide houses that already belong to the State or rent houses for this purpose.

The Draft Decree-Law establishing the Programme to encourage the renewal and expansion of coffee plantation areas. Given the importance of agriculture, in particular, the coffee culture, for the improvement of the living conditions of the Timorese and the economic development of the country, as well as the importance of supporting the production and promotion of organic and high-quality coffee and of improving coffee production through the rehabilitation of coffee plantations, the Government decides to establish this support programme. This draft Decree-Law aims to stimulate the renovation of coffee plantations, expand coffee plantation areas, increase annual coffee production and increase farmers’ incomes.

The support will be as follows:

The Draft Decree-Law establishing the Support Programme for the Planting of Coastal Mangroves “Ai-parapa” and approving its implementation rules.

This Decree-law’s purposes are:

The support is provided through a public grant of US$ 0.50 (fifty cents) per Coastal Mangroves “ai-parapa” plant grown in nurseries or planted.

The Council of Ministers also approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Armindo Maia, regarding the measure of support for establishments of pre-school education, basic education and secondary education, public and private, integrated into the network of the public service offer, for internet access, to award a scholarship to the best students and to implement the pilot project “Eskola iha Uma” or home-schooling, as well as the financing of the feasibility study of the establishment of the “Escola de Raiz” (school from scratch).

With this draft Decree-Law, it is established:

The Council of Ministers also approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, which makes the third amendment to Decree-Law no. 55/2020, of October 28th, approving the establishment of the Social Security Reserve Fund and the definition of the respective management model.

With this amendment, the concept of operational management is defined and it is possible that the Social Security Reserve Fund, directly, or the Central Bank of Timor-Leste or another public entity, responsible for the operational management, may resort to hiring or subcontracting other entities to assume some specific functions included in the operational management of the Fund.

Furthermore, with this amendment, it is clarified that the assets that will be part of the portfolio of the Social Security Reserve Fund must be issued by entities that do not present a substantial risk of default, to ensure the safety of the Fund itself, with the maximisation of income and the minimisation of risks.

Lastly, three draft Decree-Laws were also presented by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos.

A Project to replace the SAII with invalidity and elderly social pension.

With this legislative amendment, the following changes are sought:

 

A project that establishes minimum values for the invalidity and elderly minimum pensions of the contributory regime.

This proposal aims to guarantee a minimum pension, depending on the contributory career of the workers.

A Project for the establishment of the Incapacity Verification Service.

This project aims to create a service that certifies situations of incapacity to grant social benefits. END

url: https://timor-leste.gov.tl?lang=en&p=30592