The Meeting of Council of Ministers, July 7th 2010
IV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
SECRETARIAT OF STATE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
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PRESS RELEASE
Council of Ministers Meeting of 7th of July 2010
The Council of Ministers held a meeting this 7th of July 2010, in its meeting room in the Government Palace, in Díli, and approved:
1. Resolution that approves the Copenhagen Agreement about Climate Change
Taking into account how current the issue is and the urgency in finding solutions for the Climate Change problem that has been verified throughout the planet, and considering Timor-Leste’s recent participation in Copenhagen for the discussion of this Agreement, the Council of Ministers analysed the document in a profound way and the future environmental implications for the country.
The Council of Ministers considers important and pertinent to agree with the Copenhagen Agreement, that was recently approved in the Danish capital, with a Timorese governmental delegation participation, which were part, among others, the Minister of Economy and Development and the Secretary of State of Environment.
2. Law Proposal “First Alteration to Law n.o 13/2009 of 21st of October, on Budget and Finance Management”
The Government discussed and approved the alteration to the Budget and Finance Management Law allowing a greater efficiency and effectiveness in the revenue and expenses prediction for the State Budget preparation. Therefore, the time for the Government to present its budget proposal can go until two weeks before the end of the year.
3. Resolution that approves a risk subsidy for the Prison Guard Career
The specificity of the prison guard functions, whom have to face limitations, restrictions, responsibilities and the aggravated risk that occurs while exercising their functions within the scope of inmate security and vigilance, maintenance of the order and tranquillity of prison establishments, as well as the complexity of the situations which these professionals face daily, demands a special career for these workers. However, while such regulation is not approved, the Council of Ministers has resolved to attribute a risk subsidy to these persons in the amount of 60%.
4. Resolution that approves the nomination of the Timor-Leste Anti-Corruption Commission as the contact for issues related with the application of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The United Nations Convention Against Corruption establishes a series of obligations for States that are a part of it – one of which is the nomination of a national authority to carry out the activities defined in the Convention.
The Convention refers that the national authority must be the State’s main institution responsible for fighting corruption. In Timor-Leste, this institution is the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and thus the Council of Ministers has approved the nomination of CAC as the contact institution for issues related with the application of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
5. Resolution that alters the Civic Duty Campaign of Cleaning
This diploma reformulates the Civic Duty of Cleaning, which will now be held once a month, on Saturday mornings, from 7.00am to 11.00am, in all of the national territory, having been expanded to the whole Timorese community who may be able to participate in a voluntary regimen.
The date for carrying out the general clean-up will be given up to two weeks before its set date, at the District Administration and Suco premises and informed to the public through the media.
During the period where the cleaning operation will occur, the movement of automobiles or motorcycles is prohibited, with the exception of emergency vehicles.
Every six months a contest will be held where a prize will be delivered to the Bairro, Aldeia or Suco which presents itself as the most clean and organised.
It is reminded that the Campaign for the Civic Duty of Cleaning has been held for more than a year in the whole of the national territory and has been a success, with the massive participation of Public Administration staff and agents and with the active collaboration of various public and private sectors of the Timorese society. This Government policy has achieved, in an exemplary manner, to make the community aware for the need to guarantee the quality of their natural resources through the cleaning and arrangement of public spaces, contributing to the preservation of the environment and the increase of hygiene and public health in the whole of the national territory.
6. Resolution that approves the new pricing of Electricity
With this regulation, the Council of Ministers alters the price of Electricity. Domestic consumption will from now on be charged a value of 5 cents per kilowatt to a maximum of 20 kilowatt, 12 cents above 20 kilowatts, for small companies 15 cents per kilowatt, for medium sized companies 20 cents per kilowatt, for large companies, embassies and public buildings 24 cents per kilowatt. This new tariff will come into effect from next 1st of August.
With the objective of impeding superfluous expenses in public buildings, where there can be a saving in buying fuel to feed the generators, as an example to the remainder of the population, the members of Government are responsible in promoting the turning off of lights and electrical appliances in the respective departments, when they are away and at the end of each working day.
7. Resolution that approves the extension of the verifying period of data regarding the Ex-Combatants of the National Liberation
This diploma extends, for a period of three months, the verifying period for data related to Ex-Combatants of the National Liberation, in order to obtain a pension.
This decision appears in sequence to difficulties found during the process, namely in regards to the inexistence of valid documentation from the part of ex-Combatants.
8. Decree-Law that alters Decree-Law number 15/2008
Taking into account the difficulties that many petitioners for combatant pensions have felt in obtaining all the documentation necessary to present their respective candidacies, the Government altered the respective regimen for attributing pensions, in order to allow the substitution of a few documents for others without losing necessary reliability of the candidacies.
The Council of Ministers also analysed:
1. Preparation of the State Budget for 2011
Due to the proximity of the new year and the need to prepare the General State Budget for 2011 in a timely manner and according to the instituted rules, the Council of Ministers discussed the national priorities for next year (Infrastructure, Rural Development, Accelerated Development of Human Resources, Access to Justice, Public Service delivery, Good Governance and Public Safety and Stability) as well as the calendar to prepare the State Budget proposal.
2. Draft Law numbers 19/II (National Repair Program Framework) and 20/II (Memory Institute) to implement the CAVR and CVA recommendations (following National Parliament Resolution number 35/2009, of 14 December 2009)
The Council of Ministers received a delegation of parliament members from the Parliamentary Commission for Constitutional Affairs, Justice, Public administration, Local Power and Government Legislation, led by its president, deputy Fernanda Borges, to debate the contents of the legislative measures above referenced. After an explanation by the referred deputy, the members of the Council of Ministers and the deputy delegation exchanged detailed ideas and impressions regarding the articles within the legal documents in question, which, being general legislation on reparation to victims of human rights violations in Timor-Leste between 1974 and 1999, will be discussed and voted on during the next few days in the National Parliament.
3. Decree-Law that approves the Statutes of the Timor Lorosa’e University - UNTL
The Council of Ministers re-analysed the Decree-Law proposal for the UNTL statutes. An important measure since we live in a time where knowledge has become the main basis for socioeconomic and cultural development of a Country, where universities fill a space of excellence within this dynamic. UNTL thus assumes – as its indeclinable mission – the generation, diffusion and application of knowledge based on freedom of thought and plurality of critical exercises, aiming at a more just and democratic society, valuing the culture of academic experiences with the objective of serving Community development, responding to its necessities.
In view of the proposals that have meanwhile been received from the professors and students of UNTL, the council of Ministers received a representation from them to listen and analyse the respective counterproposals to the Government project.
The Council of Ministers decided to re-analyse the issue at a following session of the Council of Ministers.
