Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 22nd, 2026

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 22nd, 2026

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and began with a presentation by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, to the Council of Ministers on the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Local Government Reform in Georgia, the official visit to Portugal, and the ceremonies for the transfer of the remains of our beloved prelates, whose sacrifice, dedication, and testimony of hope form the foundation upon which the Church in Timor stands today.

The Minister of State Administration presented the Council of Ministers with a report on his participation in the United Nations Conference on Local Government Reform, at which participating states shared experiences and best practices and promoted strengthened international cooperation in administrative modernisation, public sector innovation, and local governance.

The Minister of State Administration also briefed the Council of Ministers on the outcomes of his official visit to the Portuguese Republic, during which agreements were reached to strengthen bilateral cooperation in administrative simplification and modernisation, electoral administration, and the preservation of the military archival heritage shared by the two countries.

The Minister of State Administration also delivered a presentation on the ceremonies marking the transfer of the remains of the late prelates—Dom Jaime Garcia Goulart, Dom José Joaquim Ribeiro, Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes, and Dom Alberto Ricardo da Silva—pastors who, with courage and love, stood by our people during the most difficult moments in our history. By bringing their remains to Timor, the Government reaffirms its commitment to continuing their legacy of reconciliation and nation-building.

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The Council of Ministers approved the draft government resolution, also presented by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, which names the Manatuto Bridge “Monsenhor Martinho da Costa Lopes”.

The naming of the Manatuto Bridge after Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes is a fitting tribute to one of the most notable figures of the Timorese resistance and of Christian witness in the cause of justice, peace, and self-determination, perpetuating his legacy for present and future generations and taking on paramount importance at a time when ceremonies are being held to reinter the remains of the late prelates.

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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by Vice-Minister of Finance Regina de Jesus, which sets out the legal framework for the organisation, powers, and operations of the Accounting Council of Timor-Leste.

The decree regulates the operations of this independent technical body, established within the Ministry of Finance, which is tasked with developing accounting standards, issuing opinions and recommendations, and promoting the adoption of uniform accounting procedures harmonised with International Accounting Standards, in order to improve the quality of financial information provided by entities covered by the national accounting system.

It should be noted that the Accounting Council of Timor-Leste had already been established by Decree-Law No. 45/2025 of December 15^th, as an independent technical body with technical and administrative autonomy, operating within the ministry responsible for public finance.

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Also at the proposal of the Vice-Minister of Finance, the draft Decree-Law for the First Amendment to Decree-Law No. 2/2023, of February 15^th, regarding the meal allowance for workers employed at Integrated Border and Customs Posts, was approved.

This amendment to the law takes into account the need to update the amount of the meal allowance, in order to bring the amount received in line with the actual circumstances in which the work is performed and to ensure that the amount of this allowance is uniform for all employees at Integrated Border and Customs Posts. The Government has therefore decided to increase the amount of the allowance from US$7 to US$10.

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In accordance with the draft presented by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jesuína Maria Ferreira Gomes, the Council of Ministers decided to approve the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Vanuatu on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

This Agreement reflects the desire to strengthen existing relations and facilitate official visits between the two countries through the reciprocal recognition of diplomatic, official, and service passports and the granting of visa exemptions to their holders for entry into and stays in each other’s territories.

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The Council of Ministers decided to approve the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Vanuatu on the Technical Cooperation Program for Development, which was also presented by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

The main objectives of the Agreement are to promote development cooperation across strategic areas, to strengthen peace, stability, and security by advancing shared values, and to establish mutually beneficial mechanisms for technical collaboration between the two States.

Through this Agreement, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Vanuatu reaffirm their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, thereby strengthening the partnership between two Pacific island states that share common challenges and a shared goal of promoting sustainable development, prosperity, and regional stability.

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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Law Proposal, presented by Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which requests legislative authorisation from the National Parliament regarding crimes and criminal procedure in the area of cybersecurity and the definition of the legal framework for the national cyberspace.

The purpose of this law proposal is to grant the Government legislative authorization to adopt a comprehensive legislative package on cybersecurity, comprising the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the legal framework for national cyberspace security, the regulatory framework for digital services, and the criminal and criminal procedural framework applicable to crimes committed in the digital environment, including rules on the collection of electronic evidence.

The legislative authorisation allows the Government to define new types of crimes committed in the digital environment; establish procedural mechanisms for the prevention, investigation, combating, and prosecution of cybercrime; regulate the collection and preservation of digital evidence; define the responsibilities of digital service providers and the mechanisms for notifying, removing, or blocking illegal content; strengthen international cooperation; establish a whistleblower protection system, especially with regard to the safety of minors online; and establish a national framework for governance, monitoring, response, and coordination in the area of cybersecurity.

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Lastly, the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Verónica das Dores, approving the third amendment to Decree-Law No. 18/2012 of April 4^th, was approved.

This amendment aims to expand the scope of support for preschool and Senior Secondary education, strengthening the role of the subsidy as a tool for promoting educational inclusion from the earliest stages of development and beyond Primary and Secondary School (Years 1–9). END