The heads of Public Administration met with Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão at the Dili Conventions Centre on 17 and 18 January 2013. The meeting, which was organized by the Public Service Commission, was dedicated to the topic “Performance, Dedication and Integrity”.

In his opening speech, the President of the Republic, Taur Matan Ruak, stated that a quality public administration should focus its attention on the provision of services to the people, which are the clients of the State, and that such service needs to be provided in an adequate manner. The Head of State recommended the Public Administration to define objectives and to conduct a permanent assessment of the performance status of the civil servants so that the latter exercise their functions with integrity. Such measures, the President of the Republic added, will enable to have a better control of the Public Administration and will create the necessary conditions to win the confidence of the people, thereby encouraging the latter to cooperate with the authorities in the fight against, and reduction of, poverty in Timor-Leste.

In his remarks, the Prime Minister requested all director-generals and staff members in general to meet on a regular basis with a view to improving the internal services and conquer the confidence of the State and the people. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão advocated that “all of us should constitute a role model in order to become the new heroes of this country and of this people”.

“We met here today to make an assessment of what we have done so far and what we have to do in the future. All of us should contribute in honoring our State by committing ourselves to the highest standards of performance, dedication and integrity when serving our people and the nation”, the Prime Minister said in concluding.

The following entities took part in the VI Meeting of Heads of Public Administration: Taur Matan Ruak, President of the Republic; Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister; Libório Pereira, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission; Members of Government;  the Chairperson of the National Election Commission; the Anti-Corruption Commissioner; the Provedor of Human Rights and Justice; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; the Inspector-General of the State; Inspector-Generals of the Ministries; Director-Generals and National Directors; District and Sub-District Administrators and Heads of Departments of all the Ministries and Secretariats of State.