On Friday, May 27, the IV Constitutional Government, through the Secretariat of State for the Council of Ministers (SECM), signed, two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Radio and Television of Timor-Leste (RTTL, E.P.)

One of the documents guarantees the continuity of the broadcasting of the Government Radio Program in Portuguese and Tetum languages by Radio of Timor-Leste (RTL).

The programs are the SECM’s responsibility and according to the MoU, the radio program “Good bye Conflict Welcome Development” will go on to the second consecutive year and is a result of a joint partnership with the RTL.  The program is broadcasted in AM/FM by satellite and will also be broadcasted through the new Government website currently in development.

After signing the documents, the SECM Director General, Victor Maia, explained that “the signature of these two memorandums of understanding has, a first objective of guaranteeing the continuity of the Government radio program broadcasting: Good Bye Conflict Welcome Development, in Portuguese and Tetum, about Government activities, programs and National Parliament meetings. The memorandum of understanding also contemplates the partnership between the SECM and the RTL regarding the creation of a new broadcasting space, through the internet”.

The second Memorandum of Understanding reinforces the production continuity of the television program of institutional nature, “Government Page”. It is a weekly program, in Tetum, that has the objective of disseminating the activities carried out by the members of Government, mainly the work that as been developed at the district level. With interviews to the population, public servants and Government members, the purpose is to inform the population about the different projects and activities carried out in the country. The program has a 45 minute duration and is under the SECM’s responsibility, through the National Directorate for Dissemination of Information, Department of Mass Communication, in partnership with the Television of Timor-Leste (TVTL) and is transmitted during the weekends. At the time the possibility for the production of a “Government Page” in Portuguese to begin in 2011 was also established.

For the member of the RTTL, E.P, Administration Board, Abel Ximenes, “through the signature of these agreements a partnership is established between the Government and the RTTL to disseminate information concerning the Government activities, through radio and television programs. The online radio broadcasting will be the first in Timor-Leste, especially in the Radio of Timor-Leste. The presence of the Secretariat of State of the Council of Ministers in the RTTL is very important for this institution because it allows for the development of these tools and, in this way, the world and the people can know the program and the Timor-Leste Government’s activities, through the internet”.