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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on March 13th, 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili. It began with a presentation by the Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP – acronym in Portuguese), Zacarias da Costa, on the CPLP’s potential for Timor-Leste.
The Executive Secretary of the CPLP spoke about the history of the CPLP’s founding and Timor-Leste’s entry as a member. He then discussed the CPLP’s mission, fundamental principles, and organisational structure. He also highlighted the areas of regional economic integration that comprise the organisation’s member states and mentioned the operational instruments used within the CPLP.
Twenty-three years after joining the CPLP, Zacarias da Costa emphasised that Timor-Leste has made limited use of the resources available in the community, saying that the CPLP could strengthen Timor-Leste’s capacity for international intervention, both through political diplomacy and in promoting economic and business cooperation, not only between member states but also in regional economic integration mechanisms. In this sense, the Executive Secretary of the CPLP defended the need for significant complementary political and financial reinforcement to enable Timor-Leste to exploit the potential of its membership of the CPLP.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Resolution of the National Parliament, presented by the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, on the ratification, for accession, of the Convention for the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, signed in The Hague on October 18th, 1907.
The Convention, initially established on July 29th, 1899, and later revised in 1907, is an international treaty that aims to establish guidelines and mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of disputes between states, promote international peace and security, prevent armed conflicts, and seek consensual solutions to disagreements between nations.
In addition to reaffirming the national commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts, by joining this Convention, Timor-Leste joins in the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, established by the 1899 Convention to contribute to general peace and the amicable settlement of international disputes. The Permanent Court of Arbitration has played an essential role in Timor-Leste’s history, having functioned as a registry for compulsory conciliation between Timor-Leste and Australia in the context of the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea, which led to the signing of the Treaty between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Australia in 2018, which established maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea. As a member, Timor-Leste can now host the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 10/2012, of February 29th, which approves the Special Career and Statute of the Prison Guards.
After more than a decade since the legal regime for the Special Career and Statute of the Timor-Leste’s Prison Guards was approved, this statute aims to clarify the rules relating to the conditions for promotion in the staff, making it possible to clear up the existing doubts that have hampered its complete application.
On the other hand, this legislation changes the remuneration supplement of the salary system, considering the basic salary, to improve the remuneration status of prison guards. To simplify matters, a new pay scale is established according to the category of the special career.
Other changes have also been made to the legal regime of the Special Career and Statute of the Prison Guards to improve the service of prison guards and clarify specific rules laid down therein.
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According to the draft presented by the Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal, the Council of Ministers decided to authorise expenditure for the transfer of funds from the General State Budget of the “802 Electricity” Programme from the Ministry of Public Works to the Public Electricity Company of Timor-Leste (EDTL, EP).
The Council of Ministers has therefore decided to authorise expenditure on subsidy contracts between MPW and EDTL, EP, to the value of US$ 148.5 million, which will be used to provide EDTL, EP with the necessary resources to supply electricity to the entire national territory, an essential public service for the population and the country’s economy.
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According to the drafts presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, the Council of Ministers decided to authorise expenditure on the construction contract for the Uatuwa-Modobuti irrigation project in the municipality of Baucau to the value of US$ 26.57 million, and on the construction contract for the Iraberi irrigation project, in Suco Irabin de Baixo, in the municipality of Viqueque, to the value of US$ 11.96 million.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law presented by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, on the classification and commercialisation of strategic minerals.
This decree-law classifies minerals as strategic and establishes the rules for state participation in exercising the respective mining rights and their commercialisation
These minerals are classified as strategic based on economic criteria, energy security and balance of trade, danger, rarity, defence and security, and/or support for the growth of domestic manufacturing industries, especially in the agricultural, housing and infrastructure sectors, in addition to the list of special rules applicable to the state’s participation in the exercise of the respective mining rights and the commercialisation of strategic minerals, under the terms of the Mining Code.
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The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources also presented the draft Government Resolution on TIMOR GAP, EP’s participation interests in the Production Sharing Contracts PSC TL-OT-17-08 and PSC TL-OT-17-09, which was approved.
As it is in the public interest to ensure and accelerate the production of petroleum resources to find alternative sources of funding for the Petroleum Fund, with this Resolution, the Government approves Timor Gap’s proposal to settle the commercial impasse between Timor Gap and Timor Resources regarding the areas of the aforementioned Production Sharing Contracts. It authorises Timor Gap and its subsidiaries to sign all commercial or other documentation necessary to implement the abovementioned proposal.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law on the Special Procurement Regime for the Visit of His Holiness the Pope, presented by the Minister for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira.
Considering the historical importance and significance for the Timorese population of this possible visit by His Holiness Pope Francis to Timor-Leste, the purpose of this decree-law is to ensure the special procedures applicable to the public procurement of leasing or acquisition of movable goods, the acquisition of services or the execution of public works contracts and which are intended for the organisation, programming, design and implementation of activities and projects to ensure the security and organisation of the papal visit. This initiative responds to the need to make formalities and deadlines more flexible, which is outside the urgency of the preparations that must be implemented for the papal visit.
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Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the Rules of Procedure of the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers’ Rules of Procedure are an essential legal instrument for the organisation and proper functioning of the government as a collegiate body. This instrument aims to regulate the organisation and functioning of ordinary and extraordinary meetings of the Council of Ministers, as well as regulating the legislative procedure of the 9th Constitutional Government, to establish effective coordination between the different members of the Government, to the benefit of the government’s actions, which are intended to be swift and efficient. ENDS