Meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 14th 2026

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 14th 2026

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Decree-Law presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, and the Secretary of State for Media, Expedito Dias Ximenes, for the second amendment to Decree-Law No. 42/2008 of November 26^th, which transforms Radio and Television of Timor-Leste (RTTL) into a Public Corporation.

This decree-law aims to adapt the legal framework governing Rádio e Televisão de Timor-Leste, Public Corporation, to the new legal framework established by Decree-Law No. 10/2025 of April 30^th, on the regime of supervision and oversight of public legal entities that are part of the indirect administration of the State, thereby ensuring the necessary harmonisation and consistency of the applicable regulatory framework.

The amendment now approved also addresses the fact that, to date, there has been no fully functioning Supervisory Board at RTTL, a requirement under the general rules governing public corporations. Given the structural difficulties and the limited availability of specialised human resources for establishing a collegiate supervisory body, the law provides for the replacement of the Supervisory Board with a single body, the Single Auditor, thereby ensuring the continuity and effectiveness of the supervisory function.

Given that RTTL is the state media outlet and its operations depend on funding from the General State Budget, this revision strengthens the monitoring and control mechanisms exercised by the member of the Government responsible for its supervision and the member of the Government responsible for finance, promoting stricter oversight of the use of public resources and the execution of the company's activities.

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The draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso; the President of the Civil Service Commission, Agostinho Letêncio de Deus; and the working group for the reform of human resources management in the Public Administration, relating to the Legal Framework for Fixed-Term Employment Contracts in the Public Administration, was also approved.

The main objective of this decree-law is to establish a clear, uniform, and transparent legal framework for the signing, management, and supervision of fixed-term employment contracts in the public administration, ensuring the judicious use of the state's human and financial resources to meet the temporary needs of the services.

Among the key measures now approved, the following stand out: the definition of recruitment and selection procedures based on merit, transparency, and gender equality; the establishment of clear rules on the duration of contracts and the limits on renewal; the establishment of contractor categories and pay grades with defined minimum and maximum values; and the introduction of performance management and evaluation mechanisms based on work plans, periodic reports, and performance indicators. The law also sets out specific rules on impediments, exclusivity, applicable benefits, sources of funding, and the responsibilities of human resources departments and the Ministry of Finance.

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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Law Proposal presented by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, for the second amendment to Law No. 3/2004 of April 14^th, the Law on Political Parties.

The legislative initiative aims to strengthen the internal democracy of political parties and prevent political parties' names from being associated with those of resistance organisations.

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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Filipus Nino Pereira, for the first amendment to Decree-Law No. 89/2023, of December 20^th, on sectoral licensing of commercial activities.

This decree-law aims to correct inconsistencies identified during the regulatory process for the current regime, to ensure its compatibility with the general licensing regime for economic activities and with other sectoral regimes, such as those for tourism, health, oil, and minerals.

With the amendment now approved, establishments linked to catering and beverage sales, as well as those engaged in the sale of pharmaceutical products, fuels, and minerals, are excluded from this regime, as these materials remain covered by specific legislation. Some improvements have also been introduced, and some technical requirements applicable to commercial establishments have been simplified.

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The Minister of Trade and Industry also gave a presentation on Timor-Leste's participation in the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (SEOM Retreat), held in December, and on preparations for the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials' Meeting (SEOM 1/57), scheduled for this month in the Philippines.

The presentation framed the SEOM Retreat as a moment of strategic reflection on ASEAN's economic agenda for the post-2025 period, including the start of implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026–2030, and the alignment of regional priorities in the context of the Philippine chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026.

The importance of Timor-Leste's participation in this process, as the newest ASEAN member state, was also highlighted, emphasising the strengthening of national involvement in regional economic coordination mechanisms and ongoing technical and institutional preparations to ensure full integration into the organisation's mechanisms. END