East Timor Council of Ministers Meeting of 28 March 2017

Council of Ministers’ meeting of March 28th, 2017

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Sixth Constitutional Government

Dili, March 28th, 2017

Press Release

Council of Ministers meeting of March 28th, 2017

The Council of Ministers met on Tuesday at the Government Palace in Dili, and heard from the Ministry of Finance regarding the process of formalising the application process to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. On March 23rd, this international institution announced the acceptance of Timor-Leste as a Prospective Member, and informed the Government on the procedures to complete the membership. The Ministry of Finance will now gather the necessary information, in order to submit it to the Council of Ministers, together with the proposed Resolution for membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to be sent to the National Parliament for consideration and vote.

Also from the Ministry of Finance, three proposals were approved: the amendment to the loan agreement for financing of the Manatuto-Baucau road project, to decrease the risk of exchange rate fluctuation; the renewal of the contract with the company FreeBalance, to provide services in the area of financial information systems; and the Policy on the Management of Foreign Aid Effectiveness, which has as main objective to ensure that the assistance from the development partners is used in compliance with the plan and priorities of the Government.

A contribution to the Security Council Report, an independent international organization whose mission is to promote the transparency and effectiveness of the activities of the United Nations Security Council, proposed by the Prime Minister, was approved.

Two proposals from the Ministry of Justice were adopted: the first amendment to the Organic Structure of the Technical and Administrative Services of the General Prosecutor’s Office, which provides for the reorganization of some services and the creation and elevation of the category of others, both indispensable to the attainment of the objectives of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic; and the updating of the permanent staff of the Technical and Administrative Services of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic.

The legal regime for the protection and conservation of biodiversity, presented by the Office of the Minister of State, Coordinator of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Environment, was approved. It establishes the principles and rules applicable to the protection and conservation of nature, especially setting standards for the protection of protected species and for the control of exotic species.

The Council of Ministers approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the National Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS of Timor-Leste and the National Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS of Indonesia. This agreement aims to promote the participation of the communities in both countries in the HIV/AIDS prevention programme.

Inês Maria de Almeida and Francisco Dionísio Fernandes were appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Centre “Enough” (in Portuguese: “Chega”), from Memory to Hope (Public Institute that promotes solidarity with the most vulnerable survivors of human rights violations).  Inês Maria de Almeida will occupy the position of President.

The Government approved the signing of the Cooperation Protocol between the Ministry of State Administration of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Portugal for the safeguarding and dissemination of archival heritage. This agreement covers the transfer of knowledge, training and scanning of documents relating to the common history, among others; moreover, it pursues the objectives of the CPLP – Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries, which provides for the recovery of the historical heritage of its Member States and the creation of mechanisms to facilitate the preservation and dissemination of this common heritage. It should be noted that the National Archives of Timor-Leste, managed by the General-Directorate for National Archives from the Ministry of State Administration, and the National Archives of Torre do Tombo, in Portugal, have documentary heritage which can help to stimulate the exchange of common interest information that exists in these two archives and which are an integral part of the common memory of both countries.

The draft Public Water Supply and Water Resource Management Policies, presented by the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications were analysed. The other ministries made suggestions and comments for incorporation into the texts, which will be presented at a future meeting of the Council of Ministers. ENDS etljb