IV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

SECRETARIAT OF STATE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

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PRESS RELEASE

Council of Ministers meeting of May 4, 2011

 

This Wednesday, May 4, 2011, the Council of Ministers met at the Council of Ministers’ meeting room in the Government Palace, DÍli, and approved:

1. Decree-Law that approves the Per Diem amounts for Members and Holders of Sovereign Organs

This Decree-Law regulates the Per Diem costs to attribute to the President of the Republic, the Prime-Minister and remaining members of the Government in their trips inside the country.

The amount for these expenses hasn’t been altered since the time of the United Nations Transitional Administration, therefore its update is justified.

The Diploma is not applicable to holders of Sovereignty Organs from the National Parliament and Courts since these have a regimen of their own whom, as the staff from Public Administration, have seen their Per Diem updated.

2. Law Proposal that approves the Organic Structure for the Audit Chamber of the Superior Administrative, Fiscal and Auditors Court

With the approval of the Organic Structure for the Audit Chamber of the Superior Administrative, Fiscal and Auditors Court, approved today by the Council of Ministers, the Auditors Chamber is created, as predicted in the Constitution of the Republic of Timor-Leste,.

The competence, organization and functioning of the Audit Chamber of the Superior Administrative, Fiscal and Auditors Court is thus established, as well as the statute for the respective judges.

The Audit Chamber has the responsibility to control the public finances, with jurisdiction over all services and State organisms, including representations abroad.

3. Decree-Law that approves the Settlement of Properties in Non Disputed Cases

The National Directorate for Land, Property and Registry Services from the Ministry for Justice, initiated, in 2008, the collection of information regarding entitlement of properties to clarify the legal situation and set up the National Property Registry.

This process allowed all citizens to assert their right to property, through declarations of entitlement on their properties. The declarations and registry maps have been published locally in public places and disclosed in the media at the national level, in order for the right of dispute of entitlements of registered properties.

In April this year it was verified that, from the 35 thousand plots surveyed, 92% were not targets for dispute over the property, or in other words, the recognition of entitlement was consensual in the aldeia, suco, district and country.

In this way, this Decree-Law intends to regulate the situation of these declarants, in cases without dispute, recognizing the right to entitlement over the properties.

4. Decree-Law that approves the Revision of the Organic of the Ministry of Economy and Development

The revision of the Organic of the Ministry of Economy and Development appears from the need to establish a clearer and more objective definition of competencies and which corresponds to the activities that the Ministry has been developing in practice.

Taking into account that the actions of the Ministry of Economy and Development are based on development and promotion of the private sector, in attracting investment, job creation and environmental protection, it is necessary to redefine the internal organization of this Ministry through the creation of two General Directorates. It is intended that these Directorates focus on the Ministry’s actions to better respond to the development needs that the country requires.

5. Decree-Law that approves the Licensing of Commercial Activities

The Licensing of Commercial Activities has the objective of establishing the rules to access a commercial activity and contribute to the organization and modernization of existing commercial infrastructures. At the same time it protects the free and fair competition between merchants and safeguards consumer rights established by law.

This Decree-Law applies to bulk and retail sales, to cumulative and general commerce, imports and exports, service provision and other commercial activities not regulated by specific legislation.

6. Regulation on the Recruitment and Training of IT Staff for the Justice Sector

The Council of Ministers approved the opening of an invitation to tender for the recruitment of IT staff for the Justice Sector. Taking into account the priority that computerizing the services is to Justice and the specificity of the respective training, it was decided that the Ministry of Justice would promote this recruitment and the training activities of the persons to be hired.

The Council of Ministers also analyzed:

1. Report from the Commission for Children’s Rights

The National Commission for Children’s Rights presented their 2012 Report, the year in which it was established.

In the Report are the actions of the past year such as the development of the Strategic and Operational Plan (2011-2014), staff capacity building, legislation on Children’s Rights, the carrying out of workshops to appreciate the Law for Juvenile Justice, the coordination and organization of World Children’s Day, the recommendations from Geneva and the role of the Children’s Rights Commission and the participation in meetings and trainings regarding children’s rights.

A brief summary of the activity plan was also presented, where there is a highlight on the need  for a legal basis for the competencies of the Commission, the coordination with other Ministries and organisms of State, always taking into account the priority of the children’s interests.

2. National Directorate for Security of Public Buildings

The Council of Ministers also analyzed a document introduced by staff from the National Directorate for Security of Public Buildings, related to the complaints regarding a few components of the respective professional career, mainly meal subsidies, extra hours, professional training.