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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on December 11th, 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Secretary of State for Social Communication, Expedito Dias Ximenes, which exonerates, at his request, the current President of the Board of Directors of TATOLI – Agência Noticiosa de Timor-Leste I.P., and appoints Noémio Mateus Soares Falcão as the new President of the Board of Directors of TATOLI – Agência Noticiosa de Timor-Leste, I.P., for a period of four years, starting on 1 January 2025.
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Also approved was the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso, to approve the extraordinary payment of an additional month’s salary to the Civil Service and an additional pension to former holders and former members of sovereign bodies.
The Decree-Law provides for the granting of an extraordinary payment to civil servants, agents and contractors of the Public Administration, public office holders, members of FALINTIL – the Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste, the Timor-Leste National Police and the National Intelligence System, as well as an additional pension to former holders and former members of sovereign bodies.
This extraordinary payment, corresponding to the 13th month, will be made in December 2024 and will be equal to the beneficiary’s monthly salary or pension for that period, with a maximum limit equivalent to the salary of the President of the Republic. Foreign contractors are excluded from this payment. The financing of this measure will be provided by the budget appropriations of the respective employers and, if necessary, supplemented by the General State Budget for 2025.
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The Coordinator of the Executive Committee for the establishment of the Special Economic Development Zone in Oe-Cússe Ambeno (ZEEDOA – acronym in Portuguese), João Mendes Gonçalves, presented the Council of Ministers with the Report on the state of development of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cússe Ambeno (RAEOA – acronym in Portuguese). The document presents the results of a study carried out by the Executive Committee, which covers the investments and results of the Special Zone for the Social Market Economy of Timor-Leste (ZEESM-TL), as well as the development of other sectors.
This document is an essential tool for the Executive Committee to facilitate the drafting of a strategic investment plan, including the definition of the budget for the Oe-Cússe Ambeno Special Economic Development Zone, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers. The report is also relevant for the current RAEOA Authority and development partners, as it is an essential reference for planning and implementing their future activities.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, also presented by the Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso, on the Implementation of the General State Budget for 2025.
This Decree-Law establishes the rules governing the implementation of the General State Budget for 2025, approved by Law no. 8/2024 of November 26th. The regulations included in the Decree-Law apply to all services and entities in the Central Administration Sub-Sector, the Social Security Sub-Sector and the Oe-Cússe Ambeno Special Administrative Region Sub-Sector.
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Following the drafts presented by the Minister of Finance, the Council of Ministers decided to authorise the cancellation of the Financing Agreements with the International Development Association of the World Bank Group relating to:
After conducting an in-depth analysis of the loans-financed projects, which concluded that several have not yet started or have very low execution rates, the Government decided to cancel or reformulate some of the projects and explore other sources of funding for different projects, so these Financing Agreements are no longer necessary.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Decree, presented by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, which sets the dates for Hamlets (Aldeia) Assemblies and Village (Suco) Councils, as part of the procedures for electing community leaders.
This statute fulfils the provisions of article 92 of Law no. 9/2016, of July 8th, initiating the process of electing community leaders in Villages. (Sucos) Karahili (Remexio, Aileu), Hurai-Raco (Aileu Vila, Aileu) Ueru Mata (Laga, Baucau), Builai (Baucau, Baucau), Caibada Macasa’e (Baucau, Baucau), Assui-Lau (Letefoho, Ermera), Koliate Leten (Hatolia A, Ermera), Poetete Vila (Ermera, Ermera), Poetete Lodudu (Ermera, Ermera), Tahu-Bein (Alas, Manufahi), Mone-Meco (Pante Macassar, Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cússe Ambeno), Cutete (Pante Macassar, Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cússe Ambeno), Macadique de Cima (Uato-Lari, Viqueque) and Macadique de Baixo (Uato-Lari, Viqueque). This Government Decree also approves the timetable for the elections of the Heads of the Villages (Sucos) of Baduro (Lautém, Lautém), Lacú-Mesak (Laclo, Manatuto), Iliheu (Manatuto Vila, Manatuto) and Poetete (Ermera, Ermera).
The Village (Suco) Councils will meet on January 10th, 2025, to choose the members of the electoral panel and to receive applications for the position of Village (Suco) Chief.
Hamlet (Aldeia) Assemblies will be held on January 25th, 2025, to elect members of the electoral boards, present and vote on candidates for Village (Suco) Council Delegates, Hamlet (Aldeia) Chiefs and Village (Suco) Chiefs, as well as count and initially tabulate the results and examine appeals related to electoral decisions. If none of the candidates for Village (Suco) Chief obtains more than half of the votes validly cast, the Hamlet (Aldeia) Assemblies will meet for a second vote on February 10th, 2025.
The Village (Suco) Councils will meet on January 26th, 2025, to monitor the final tabulation of the election results of Village (Suco) Chiefs, decide on any appeals and proclaim the final results. In the event of a second ballot, a new meeting will be held on February 11th, 2025, for the same purposes regarding the second round.
The Village (Suco) Councils will meet on February 5th, 2025, to elect the Lian-na’in and Youth Representatives to the Village (Suco) Council. In cases where there is a second vote for Village (Suco) Chiefs, the election of these figures will be held on February 21st, 2025.
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The Council of Ministers decided to authorise the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Public Works to renegotiate with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) the scope of the loan to finance the construction of drinking water supply and sanitation systems in Lospalos, at an estimated cost of US$22.48 million, and in Same, at an estimated cost of US$20.59 million.
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The Council of Ministers analysed a presentation on the “Dili solid waste management project”.
During the presentation, the state of play of the project was described, and the various contracts associated with its implementation were analysed. The members of the Council of Ministers also discussed possible legal solutions to overcome the constraints encountered in implementing the contracts for this project.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, which formalises the Timor-Leste – Portugal Strategic Cooperation Programme for the period 2024-2028, signed in Lisbon on October 14th, 2024.
The programme aims to strengthen the partnership between the two countries based on their historical, cultural, and linguistic affinities. It is in line with global commitments such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the Portuguese Cooperation Strategy 2030, the Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030 and other national and sectoral strategic plans to contribute to the sustainable development of Timor-Leste.
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Two draft Government Resolutions were also approved, also presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, concerning the approval of the Cooperation Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Portuguese Republic in Infrastructure and the Cooperation Protocol between the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Ministry of Economy of the Portuguese Republic for the Development and Implementation of the REVIVE Programme. Both documents were signed in Lisbon on October 14th, 2024.
The Cooperation Agreement in Infrastructure will allow Timor-Leste to benefit from partnerships with Portuguese public institutions, contributing to the implementation and development of essential infrastructure for basic public services provided to the population.
The Cooperation Protocol for the Development and Implementation of the REVIVE Programme aims to promote and streamline processes for the recovery, preservation, and profitability of public assets of high heritage, cultural, historical and architectural value and their transformation into an economic asset for the benefit of the country, making them suitable for economic activities related to the tourism sector.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution, also presented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, on the Cooperation Protocol between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Ismaili Imamat, signed in Lisbon on October 17th, 2024.
The purpose of this protocol is to establish cooperation ties and promote the exchange of information and consultations between the parties to promote shared values in international and regional forums, such as human dignity, social and economic development, interfaith dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, contributing to the promotion of justice and peace.
The Ismaili Imamat and its dependent institutions, namely the Aga Khan Network for Development, have the mission of promoting the improvement of quality of life without distinction of faith, origin or gender, promoting initiatives in areas such as education, health, culture, rural development, human habitat, crisis response, microfinance, economic growth and strengthening civil society institutions.
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Lastly, the Council of Ministers decided to authorise the signing of the Financial Contribution Agreements between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Asian Development Bank relating to the “Rural Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Sector Project”, for a total amount of US$16.588 million, appointing the Minister of Finance to sign these agreements on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste. END