Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 5 March 2013

ETLJB 15 March 2013 - The V Constitutional Government met on Tuesday, March 5, 2013 in the meeting room of the Council of Ministers, in the Government Palace in Díli, and approved the following:

1. Draft Law approving the Organic of the Presidency of the Republic

The objective of this statute is to harmonize the Organic Law of the Presidency of the Republic with the Constitution of the Republic insofar as the line of conduct, autonomy and independence of this sovereign body is concerned. Some services at the Presidency of the Republic, such as the Medical Support Service, the Communications Centre, and the Office for Spouse Support Services have also been reformulated.

The statute will soon be submitted to National Parliament as a draft law, pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic.

2. Draft Law on the Parliamentary Authorization to legislate on Execution of Sentences and on Custodial and Non-Custodial Measures

The objective of this statute is to improve the criminal justice administration system and to establish in Timor-Leste a system of execution of sentences and custodial and non-custodial measures that is humane, fair and reliable, geared towards the social reinsertion of convicts. Also, an important lacunae is filled insofar as criminal justice administration is concerned. Since its creation, the criminal justice administration system has been evolving without a legal and normative framework, having relied hitherto on UNTAET Regulation n.° 2001/23 of 28 August on the “Establishment of a Prison Service in Timor-Leste”, as well as on some dispersed norms of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code.

3. Government Resolution on the need to ensure the supply of fuel and on the establishment of a Strategic Fuel Reserve

The Government, committed as it is in ensuring the distribution of fuel throughout the country, is confronted with the existence of a much reduced number of fuel suppliers, which is an obstacle to the distribution of electricity and to the full utilization of the infrastructures available at the Hera Power Station.

Thus, the Council of Ministers analyzed the supply of High Speed Diesel to EDTL, E.P., having mandated the Minister of Public Works to discuss the subject matter with TIMOR GAP, E.P., which was established through Decree-Law n.° 31/2011 of 27 July. This company possesses the material means as well as the necessary skills to ensure the regular supply of fuel to EDTL, E.P. and the establishment of a Strategic Fuel Reserve that would allow the maintenance of fuel supply in the country at security levels and concomitantly create an instrument of control in case of price fluctuations.

4. Government Resolution extending the mandate of the Commission managing SAMES, E.P.

The Board of Administration of SAMES, E.P. (Medicines and Health Equipment Authority), a State-owned company, was dissolved through Government Resolution n.° 22/2012 of 31 October. A Commission with the objective of ensuring the management and functioning of SAMES, E.P on a temporary basis was established.

Since the said Commission has a temporary mission of 120 days, which ended last February, the Council of Ministers decided to extend the Commission’s mandate for another 120 days.

The Council of Ministers also analyzed the following:

1. Decree-Law approving the Organic of the Ministry of Tourism

This statute establishes the organic of the Ministry of Tourism, thereby complying with Decree-Law n.° 41/2012 of 7 September, which approved the Organic of the V Constitutional Government as well as the Programme of the V Constitutional Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Source: Government of East TImor. Edited by Warren L. Wright