Government of Timor-Leste

IV GOVERNO CONSTITUCIONAL

SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DO CONSELHO DE MINISTROS

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PRESS RELEASE

Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the 10th November 2010

The Council of Ministers met this Wednesday, the 10th November 2010, at the Council of Ministers’ Meeting Room in the Government Palace, Díli, and approved:

1. Malanesian Spearhead Group

The Government of Timor-Leste has decided to become an observing member of the Malsian Spearhead Group, formed by the Island Republic of Fidji, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Vanuatu and the New Caledonian Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste.

This sub-regional organization’s objective is to promote: the strengthening of commerce between members; the exchange of culture, traditions and Melanesian values; sovereignty equality; economic and technical cooperation between States; and the political alignment in order to promote the objectives of economic growth, sustainable development, god governance and security between the members of the organization.

2. Decree-Law that transforms the Microfinance Institute into a Commercial Bank

The IV Constitutional Government is committed to offer credit lines to the people of Timor-Leste as a way of alleviating poverty and promoting economic development, particularly in rural areas.

The Timor-Leste Microfinance Institute – created by UNTAET in 2001 – seems inadequate due to its real activity and the needs of the Timorese State. This Institute’s transformation into a Public Limited Liability Company of exclusively public funds is thus necessary to ensure its conformity with national laws and expand its activities in the banking and financial sector.

3. Legal System for Certification and Inscription of Civil Construction and Technical Civil Consultancy companies

Civil construction activity constitutes an important factor for the development of the national economy, strongly contributing to the creation of employment. However, this activity has risks for the population’s safety, and therefore, the certification of construction companies and civil consultancies must obey rigorous criteria, not only for financial competency, but especially for technical capacity, equipment and materials used, in order to guarantee that the quality and safety of the construction works, buildings or projects that are intended to be executed do not put at risk the lives and property of people that use them.

Taking into account the specificities of regulating the civil construction sector, the procedure that exists in the Ministry of Infrastructures to classify civil construction companies and civil technical consultancy does not adjust to the current reality in Timor-Leste nor to the sustainable development of the country. Thus, the Council of Ministers has approved the Decree-Law that regulates the conditions for certification and inscription of civil construction companies and civil technical consultancies that carry out their activities in our National Territory.

4. Decree-Law for the Registry of Businessmen in Sole Partnership for the Civil Construction Sector

Taking into account that many individual professionals of the civil construction sector have experience in conducting their small businesses, with this diploma, the Council of Ministers creates a special regime for the registry and cadastre of Businessmen in sole partnership, in diverse professional areas within this sector.

The Ministry of Infrastructure intends to guarantee, to these professionals, the possibility of participating in public procurement tenders to perform works and other activities of a smaller value, as a way to, on one hand, respond to the current needs of self-employment, and on the other, as a way to promote the entrepreneurial growth in Timor-Leste in the civil construction area.

5. Emergency Evacuation of Timorese Students in Jogyakarta / Sending financial support to Indonesia

The volcanic activity registered on Mount Merapi has been worsening. Due to the risk it represents for all the citizens that reside in its surroundings, the Government of Indonesia has decreed a State of Emergency in the Jogyakarta province and activated evacuation plans in tens of locations.

This natural disaster, which has victimized thousands of Indonesians, is putting at risk around one thousand and two hundred Timorese citizens who, studying in Jogyakarta, see their lives at risk and their health status compromised due to the ash, particles and smoke from the volcanic activity, extremely harmful for the public health.

Considering the gravity of these facts, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, through its Interministerial Group, composed of the Ministries for Foreign Affairs, Social Solidarity, Education, Finance and Health, and by the cabinet of the Vice-Prime-Minister for Social Affairs, has elaborated an action plan for “consular protection of Timorese citizens residing abroad and who are under threat”.

Meanwhile, the sum of one million American dollars has been made available to the Republic of Indonesia, decided on the previous Council of Ministers meeting, with the purpose of helping the affected populations and minimize the damaging effects of this “double” natural disaster (earthquake followed by tsunami and volcanic eruption) that has ravaged the island of Sumatra and Java.

6. Logistics Base in Suai

The Council of Ministers has attributed, to the Secretariat of State for Natural Resources, the responsibility of promoting actions to materialize the logistics base for goods and services supply (Supply-Base) in the southern coast of the country.

The Council of Ministers also analyzed:

1. Creation of a logistics base to supply goods and services (Supply-Base) in Suai

The Government considers the hypothesis of creating infrastructures that may serve the activities connected to oil and gas, in the southern coast of the country. This Supply-Base will be essential to retain, in Timor-Leste, of more added value directly related to the oil and gas activities, which will a source of more business opportunities and the creation of more jobs during its construction, operation and maintenance phase.

The creation of such conditions is framed within the national strategy that is being followed, in a way that current (and future) oil and gas exploration activities may stimulate the use of Timor-Leste as a support platform to off-shore oil and gas operations, as well as creating business and added-value.

2. Attribution of support to the Superior Council of the Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL)

PNTL’s Organic Law establishes the attribution of a presence token to its members, to register their participation in the Police Superior Council meetings. Thus, the Council of Ministers has discussed the value to attribute to the presence token which will be given to the members of the Police Superior Council, for every meeting that takes place and in which they participate.