MIL OSI Translation. Timor-Leste Portuguese to English –
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste
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Press release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on 25 September 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in office, Adérito Hugo da Costa, and by the President of the Civil Service Commission, Agostinho Letêncio de Deus, which sets the vacancies for the promotion of personnel integrated in the General Regime of Public Administration Careers for the year 2024.
Of the total of 817 vacancies for promotion established by this Government Resolution, 47 are for the category of Senior Technician – Grade A, 122 for Senior Technician – Grade B, 188 for Professional Technician – Grade C, 234 for Professional Technician – Grade D, 149 for Administrative Technician – Grade E and 77 for Assistant – Grade F.
Vacancies for promotion are set annually by the Government, based on a proposal from the Civil Service Commission, up to a limit of ten percent of the total staff in each category or professional group.
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An initial assessment was made of the initiative to create a seniority-based promotion system for civil servants, also presented by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Civil Service Commission, concerning. This initiative aims to ensure career progression for those who, for various reasons, have not been able to obtain merit-based promotions in recent years, based on criteria such as seniority, performance, age, professional training, work in remote areas, good behaviour and attendance.
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The Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina de Sousa Carvalho, made a presentation to the Council of Ministers on the implementation of the gender equality policy and the recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Third Phase of the Maubisse Declaration (2023-2028) was also presented, which follows on from the previous phases, focusing on the economic empowerment of rural women and people with disabilities. This phase is aligned with the priorities of the IX Constitutional Government and the recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The main commitments of this phase are organised into three areas: Social Capital, which covers social protection, inclusive education and health care, with a focus on preventing gender-based violence and improving maternal health care; Infrastructure, which promotes access to safe and accessible markets, the development of roads, sanitation and adapted public buildings, with a focus on inclusive public transport; and Economy, which prioritises agricultural development, female entrepreneurship and access to credit for rural women, strengthening their participation in sectors such as tourism and agriculture. Monitoring mechanisms are also being strengthened to ensure the implementation of these commitments. Implementation is led by several key government institutions, including relevant ministries and the National Bank of Commerce of Timor-Leste (BNCTL), which ensure the effective implementation of the planned measures.
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In order to resolve the payment of existing debts to hospitals abroad and ensure the continuity of health services, the Council of Ministers decided to instruct the Minister of Health to carry out a detailed survey of debts and payment deadlines, as well as the funds available to meet these commitments. The Minister of Health must establish prioritization criteria for payments, based on the urgency of the services, risks to public health and impact on hospital operations.
Among other measures, the Council of Ministers also instructed the Minister of Health to start negotiations with hospitals for debt restructuring and to propose to the Ministry of Finance a budgetary reinforcement for the health sector. The implementation of these measures will be monitored by a working group created specifically for this purpose, which will be required to report regularly to the Council of Ministers on the progress made in regularizing hospital debts. ENDS
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.