Government of Timor-Leste

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 August 27th, 2025

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili, and approved the draft Resolution presented by the Minister of Finance, Santina J. R. F. Cardoso, which requires the Ministry of Health to prepare a detailed report on the Overseas Medical Assistance Scheme (RAME).

The resolution establishes that the report must include information on existing agreements with healthcare facilities outside the country, the criteria applied for medical treatment abroad, and the role of the medical board in the patient referral process. The document should also include a list of patients already treated under the scheme and a list of those awaiting treatment, as well as an updated guide to patient referral and negotiation with international hospitals. The report and guide should be submitted to the Council of Ministers within six months.

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According to the project presented by the Secretary of State for Livestock and Acting Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, José Vieira de Araújo, the Council of Ministers decided to authorize expenditure related to the construction contract for the Lacló-Sumase irrigation project in the municipality of Manatuto, amounting to US$18.84 million.

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The Council of Ministers approved the Government's draft resolution, presented by the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, Gastão Francisco de Sousa, for the creation of an Executive Committee to develop the National Roadmap for the Development of the Housing Market.

This Government Resolution provides for the establishment of a Steering Committee composed of several members of the Government and supported by a Technical Working Group, which will be tasked with preparing, reviewing, and finalizing the Roadmap. This document will define the strategies and mechanisms for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating policies aimed at improving living conditions in the country.

The measure seeks to respond to the growth in housing demand and the need to ensure decent and adequate housing for citizens, as provided for in the Constitution and the Program of the IX Constitutional Government. The aim is to create a coordinated and sustainable framework for the development of the housing market, with the involvement of public institutions, the private sector, and development partners, with a view to ensuring more effective and accessible solutions for the population.

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The Council of Ministers decided to grant the Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina Sousa Carvalho, full powers to sign the Subsidiary Agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of Australia in the context of the implementation of Phases III and IV of the Nabilan Program “Ending Violence Against Women and Children” .

The Nabilan program is the result of a partnership between the Governments of Timor-Leste and Australia, implemented by The Asia Foundation in Timor-Leste. Structured around two essential pillars—services and prevention—the program aims to strengthen the response to victims of violence and, at the same time, promote positive social norms, attitudes, and behaviors that contribute to its prevention.

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The Council of Ministers also approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Secretary of State for Media, Expedito Dias Ximenes, which makes the first amendment to Decree-Law No. 21/2017, of May 24, which created TATOLI – Timor-Leste News Agency, IP.

The purpose of this amendment is to adapt TATOLI's statutes to recent reforms in the system of supervision and oversight of public entities, as well as to the new framework for state financial management. Among the main changes are the clarification of the Government's supervisory powers over the agency, the updating of internal management and operating rules, the introduction of greater transparency in recruitment and hiring processes, and the strengthening of accountability and institutional cooperation duties.

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The Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, gave a presentation on the Terms of Reference for the Single Digital Identity System (SIDU, Portuguese acronym), which aims to modernize and streamline the management of civil identification in Timor-Leste.

The aim of SIDU is to create a single, secure and universal digital identification system for all citizens and legal residents, to ensure the elimination of duplication, greater protection of personal data and interoperability between the various State databases. With this system, each person will have a unique and officially recognized digital identity, which will simplify administrative processes, reduce fraud, increase transparency and improve access to public and private services, such as health, education, social protection and financial services.

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The Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, also presented to the Council of Ministers the new model of Timor-Leste's electronic passport, which will be updated to comply with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The update includes the modernization of the integrated electronic circuit and operating system, migration to a more advanced biometric encoding system, and the introduction of new security features on the passport data page. These changes aim to provide greater protection against fraud, enhance the document's reliability, and ensure its acceptance in accordance with international standards.

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The Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina Sousa Carvalho, presented the report of the Plataforma Asaun Feto (PAF) to the Council of Ministers, which was approved at the VI National Congress of Timorese Women, held in December 2024. The National Congress of Timorese Women, organized by Rede Feto since 2000, is the largest forum for participation and debate among women's organizations in Timor-Leste, bringing together participants from across the country, as well as members of the Government, representatives of civil society and international partners.

The document is a strategic guide for the period 2025-2029 and defines priority areas such as justice, education, health, political participation, economy, social inclusion, environment and combating gender-based violence.

The Platform reflects the commitment of Timorese women to contribute to more inclusive public policies and reinforces the importance of cooperation between the Government, civil society and international partners. The report also highlights the need to integrate the PAF recommendations into government programs, aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goals and other international commitments made by Timor-Leste.

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The Council of Ministers decided to grant the Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, full powers to represent the Government of Timor-Leste at the 28th Congress of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and at the respective plenary meeting for the election of the Members of the Organization’s Administrative Council.

The Congress will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between September 8^th and 19^th 2025, bringing together the 192 member countries of the UPU, with the aim of defining the major strategic guidelines for the sector for the 2026-2029 cycle.

During the meeting, member countries will also elect the new leaders of the UPU, including the Director General and Deputy Director General, as well as the 41 members of the Administrative Council (one seat reserved for the host country and 40 distributed equally among the different geographical regions). The election of the Administrative Council will take place in plenary session on September 18^th, 2025, with at least half of the members to be renewed, in accordance with the organization’s regulations.

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The Council of Ministers approved the Government's draft resolution, presented by the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, to appoint Alexandre Gentil Corte Real de Araújo to serve as a full member of the Government on the Superior Council of the Judiciary and Crecêncio dos Santos as an alternate member.

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The Council of Ministers expresses its solidarity to the Republic of Portugal and the Portuguese people which face the serious forest fires that recently affected the northern and central regions of the country, destroying more than 248,000 hectares of forest and causing the loss of human lives. In this context, a draft Government Resolution, presented by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, was approved, authorizing the granting of a donation of US$10 million to the Portuguese Republic to support the recovery from the damage caused by the fires.

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Finally, the Council of Ministers approved three draft Government Resolutions, presented by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, relating to the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno (RAEOA), for:

• the dissolution of the Executive Committee with a view to establishing the Oe-Cusse Ambeno Special Economic Development Zone (ZEEDOA), effective August 31^st 2025;

• the termination of the Chairperson and members of the RAEOA Authority, effective  August 31^st 2025; and;

• the appointment of a new provisional structure to ensure continuity of administration from September 1^st, 2025. END