Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 2nd 2025
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 2nd 2025
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and, in accordance with the projects presented by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, decided to authorize the expenditure and the opening of the respective procurement procedures for project management consultancy services to supervise the design and construction of the Zumalai-Natarbora highway, in the following sections:
» Zumalai - Betano (STA. 34+155 - STA. 59+767), worth 12.97 million US dollars;
» and Betano - Uma Berloic (STA. 59+767 - STA. 85+259), with a value of 12.97 million US dollars; and
» . A Berloic - Natarbora (STA. 85+259 - STA. 110+787), with a value of 12.97 million US dollars.
This initiative is part of the implementation of the Tasi Mane project on the south coast of the country, which is considered to be a structuring factor for the development of the national oil sector. The project aims to generate direct economic benefits for the population, namely by boosting the oil industry and creating associated jobs. The Tasi Mane project should also contribute to an increase in Gross Domestic Product and, consequently, to Timor-Leste's economic development.
Minister Francisco Monteiro, accompanied by the heads of the National Petroleum Authority, Timor Gap, the Timor-Leste Geosciences Institute and Murak Rai E.P., also presented the Council of Ministers with state of progress of activities in the oil and mineral resources sectors.
In the oil sector, the process of implementing the decommissioning plan for the Bayu-Undan field was discussed, as well as the state of negotiations with Australia on the development of Greater Sunrise and the ongoing initiatives for prospecting and opening up new onshore and offshore exploration areas. The development plans for the Kuda Tasi, Jahal and Chu ditch fields were also presented, as well as the prospects for rehabilitating the Bayu-Undan field for future gas production and carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities. The Minister also highlighted the investments planned under the Tasi Mane Project, including the Suai logistics base and the Natarbora integrated oil hub.
Regarding the mining sector, the main developments underway were presented, with emphasis on strengthening institutional capacity and initiatives in terms of technical and scientific studies for geological mapping and prospecting of mineral resources in various regions of the country. The partnerships established to organize a national geoscience database and to create a digital portal to publicize the potential of mineral and oil resources were also mentioned. Lastly, the project to build the Geoscience Laboratory was presented, which is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. END
