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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 27th 2026
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Decree-Law establishing the Regime for the Granting of Public Subsidies by the Civil Society Support Office (GASC), presented by the Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and by the GASC Coordinator, Joaquim Freitas.
The decree-law sets out the rules, criteria, and procedures for the allocation of public financial support to civil society organisations that carry out activities of public interest in the social, educational, cultural, religious, or community fields, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 39/2024 of November 27th, which approved the Regulation on Public Subsidies, Grants, and Donations.
The new regime aims to enhance transparency, fairness, and efficiency in the granting of subsidies, promoting the role of civil society organisations as strategic partners of the State in the implementation of public policies and the promotion of social justice, peace, good governance, and sustainable development.
The decree also stipulates that grants may support projects and initiatives in education, health, vocational training, culture, social inclusion, human rights, and cooperation between national and foreign civil society organisations, particularly those from CPLP and ASEAN countries.
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The draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, and the Secretary of State for Media, Expedito Dias Ximenes, which dismisses the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Radio and Television of Timor-Leste, EP (RTTL, EP), and appoints Rosário da Graça Maia as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the public corporation for a four-year term, was also approved.
The appointment takes effect on February 1st, 2026 and is based on the new President’s recognised impartiality, integrity, technical and management skills, and his professional experience and seniority.
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The Council of Ministers also approved two law proposals, presented by the Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso, to amend Law No. 13/2011 of September 28th, which establishes the Public Debt Regime, and to institute the General Regime for Administrative Fees.
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Regarding the law proposal to introduce the first amendment to Law No. 13/2011 of September 28th, Public Debt Regime, the proposal aims to adapt the legal framework for public debt to the need to diversify the sources of financing for the General State Budget, thereby reducing the heavy dependence on the Petroleum Fund.
The proposal broadens the scope of public debt issuance, no longer limiting it exclusively to financing strategic infrastructure, so that instruments such as Treasury bonds can be used to finance general government expenditure. This change aims to align the national public debt regime with the practices adopted in most countries and to create conditions for more sustainable management of public finances in the medium and long term.
With this initiative, the Government aims to strengthen fiscal sustainability, prepare the country for the gradual decline in revenues from the Petroleum Fund, and ensure greater stability in financing essential public policies.
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Regarding the Law Proposal to establish the General Regime for Administrative Fees, the purpose of the proposal is to define a uniform legal framework for the creation, incidence, settlement, collection, and updating of fees charged by the Public Administration, ensuring greater transparency, predictability, and rigour in their application. The initiative also aims to reinforce the principle of legality, ensuring that fees effectively reflect the cost of the services provided or the benefits enjoyed by individuals.
The proposal clarifies the principles governing the setting of fees, stating that they must be established by Decree-Law, duly substantiated by economic and financial studies, and must comply with criteria of proportionality and economic equivalence. The law also regulates the objective and subjective incidence of fees, the triggering event for the payment obligation, and reduction and exemption schemes, particularly in situations of proven economic hardship or for reasons of public interest.
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Lastly, the Council of Ministers approved a US$2 million donation to the Republic of Mozambique following the floods that have severely affected the country, causing human losses, forced displacement, the destruction of homes and social infrastructure, and significant disruption to access to essential services.
This decision responds to a formal request from the Mozambican Government, given the scale of the ongoing humanitarian crisis, which is affecting hundreds of thousands of people, with a particularly severe impact on women and children. The support approved by Timor-Leste is intended to contribute to the urgent humanitarian response, strengthen relief and assistance capacity for affected populations, and mitigate the immediate effects of the emergency, in coordination with the Mozambican authorities and the efforts of the international community. END