Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Eighth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 3rd, 2023

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili, and approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, for the first amendment to the Statutes of the National Commission for Trade Facilitation (CONFAC), approved by Government Resolution No. 6/2016, of February 17^th.

This amendment to the CONFAC statutes aims to improve, streamline and monitor the implementation of procedures related to trade facilitation following the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rules.

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Two draft Government Decrees, presented by the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Territory, concerning the Municipal Land Management Plans (PMOT) of Bobonaro and Ermera, were also approved.

The Municipal Land Management Plans (PMOT) of Bobonaro and Ermera aim to establish the territorial development strategy and the municipal land management and urbanism policy, as well as to define the rules of occupation, use and transformation of the soil and the criteria to be used in the execution of said Plans, ensuring the programmed management of the municipal territory by the local administrative bodies, in compliance with the legislation in force and with local uses and customs.

These plans were subject to the favourable opinion of the Advisory Committees, which monitored their preparation. All the formalities required by Decree-Law 35/2021 of December 29^th, which approved the territorial planning instruments, were also complied with.

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Lastly, the draft Government Resolution, also presented by the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Territory, referring to the 2023-2028 Readjusted Strategic Development Plan, was approved.

With this Resolution, the Government decides:

1. To approve the work of the Interministerial Commission for the Readjustment of the 2011-2030 Strategic Development Plan, to be known as the 2023-2028 Readjusted Strategic Development Plan.
2. To advocate the approval, by the National Parliament, of the Readjusted Strategic Development Plan, included in the Annex to this Resolution, of which it is an integral part.
3. To recommend that the next Government initiate the approval process for the Strategic Planning Framework Law, aiming to create the structured framework for all strategic options, as well as promote the implementation of the 2023-2028 Readjusted Strategic Development Plan, binding it to all public sector entities and, to certain extents, by the private and cooperative sectors.
4. To recommend the institutionalisation of the exercise of long and medium-term integrated strategic planning and the elaboration of studies to support the constant adaptation of this planning to the country’s domestic characteristics and needs.
5. To recommend consolidating the strategic measures adopted and the expected results in the Readjusted Strategic Development Plan with the information in the 2022 Census reports. END