Meeting of the Council of Ministers on the 2nd of February 2011
IV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
SECRETARIAT OF STATE OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
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PRESS RELEASE
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on the 2nd of February 2011
The Council of Ministers met on the 31st of January 2010 and on the 1st and 2nd of February of 2011, in the Meeting Room of the Council of Ministers, in the Government Palace, in Díli. Being the first meeting after the debate and approval of the State Budget for the present financial year, the Council of Ministers concentrated on the analyses and plan, per Ministry, of the budget execution guidelines for this year of 2011, with special attention to the situation of the Former National Liberation Combatants, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. In this second meeting of the year, the Council of Ministers approved:
1. Alteration to the Law on the Statute of the National Liberation Combatants
Article n.o 27 of Law n.o 3/2006, on the Statute of the National Liberation Combatants, is changed, moving on to include article n.o 14.o, that predicts the payment of a Survival Pension to children of minor age which are sons or daughters of the National Liberation Martyrs or Combatants, when the respective preferential holder (spouse) dies.
This decision is taken because the IV Constitutional Government has been aware that the Survival Pension, intended for relatives of the National Liberation Martyrs or Combatants that have passed away, doesn’t ensure the livelihood of children of minor age in case the pension preferential holder dies.
2. Alteration to the Decree-Law about Pensions to the National Liberation Combatants and Martyrs
The acquisition regime to the right to this pension, included in Decree-Law n.o 15/2008, of 4th of July, is changed, ceasing to be directly related with the moment of pension requirement, but is instead to be paid with backpay to the month of January of the year in which the Combatant or Martyr is officially recognized as such (in practical terms, with the publication of the announcements with the final decision regarding the registry).
3. Decree-Law about the transitional Legal Regime applicable to the Timor-Leste Sport Confederation
The Timor-Leste Sport Confederation transits temporarily to the direct dependency of the Government member responsible for the sports area until its effective constitution and functioning. The Timor-Leste Sport Confederation, according to the Base Law for Sports, is the association that has responsibility for the sporting federations, with functions such as the promotion of theirs development and participation of in the in sporting events in Timor-Leste.
4. Decree-Law that approves the new Code of Judicial Costs
This diploma prepares a new code of costs, easier to apply and that contains, at the same time, mechanisms that turn access to the courts more effective for all, independently of the economic situation.
The Code of Judicial Costs was approved in 2003 and, as well as containing gaps and deficiencies that made it difficult to apply, it established values for the justice tax that made the use of the judicial services costly to the parties.
The Council of Ministers also analysed:
1. Project for the creation of Creative Industries in Timor-Leste
The Creative Industries (also called Culture Industries or Creative Economies) are defined by UNESCO as industries which “produce tangible or intangible artistic and creative outputs, and which have a potential for wealth creation and income generation through the exploitation of cultural assets and the production of knowledge-based goods and services (both traditional and contemporary).”
While the industries cover a variety of works, having as a common element the use of creativity, cultural knowledge and intellectual property, with the purpose of producing wealth through products and services that have social and cultural value.
The “Creative Industries Development & Timor-Leste project” was funded by Griffith University and by AusAID and was developed in collaboration with the Secretariat of State for Culture.
The project data-base was created from two years of fieldwork across all the regions of Timor-Leste.
The Council Of Ministers named the Secretariat of State for Culture in charge of presenting a detailed plan and schematics of the project. The realization of an International conference in Timor-Leste was also put in agenda , for this year, about the creation of an Arts School and the development of this project.
2. First Alteration to Petroleum Fund Law
With this diploma, the Government intends to correct the investment principals and rules defined in Articles 14 and 15, having in view the maximization of the return adjusted to the risk, taking into account the finality of the Fund and Timor-Leste’s capacity to support such risk. The Law proposal ensures reasonable flexibility to develop a strategy set on the principle of diversification to seek a larger exposition and to avoid excessive risks, without prejudice of solid and internationally recognized principals of operational control and risk management.
Besides this, it is intended to clarify the requirements that the Government should fulfil in case of a withdrawal, from the Petroleum Fund, of more than the Estimated Sustainable Income, and provide flexibility in regards to the responsible entity for the Operational Management of the Fund.
It is reminded that the Petroleum Fund was established in 2005 with the intent of contributing to a good management of the petroleum resources and a solid fiscal policy. The Petroleum Fund Law regulates the operational management and investment policy of the Petroleum Fund, including collecting and managing petroleum income, transfers to the State Budget and provisions related to the responsibility and auditing of the Government.
3. Decree-Law Project that creates the National Development Agency (NDA)
The present diploma has the purpose of approving the structure of the National Development Agency which will be an organic structure that allows an effective and efficient supervision and inspection of the quality of development capital projects. It is a service under direct State administration, under the Prime-Minister’s responsibility, which will facilitate the hiring of programs and multiannual projects.
