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
Council of Ministers meeting on 18 October 2024
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and by the Executive Director of the Mission Unit to Combat ‘Stunting’, Joel Maria Pereira, for the first amendment to Decree-Law No. 91/2022, of December 22, relating to the Mission Unit to Combat ‘Stunting’.
Decree-Law No. 91/2022 created the Mission Unit to Combat Stunting with the mission of preparing and implementing the National Plan to Combat Stunting and promoting the coordination of government bodies in combating child malnutrition. However, although the National Plan to Combat Stunting has been completed, the planned measures have not yet been fully implemented.
To ensure the continuity of this work, the Government intends to extend the mandate of the Mission Unit until December 31, 2030, allowing the full implementation of the plan and the fight against the high rate of stunting in Timor-Leste. This amendment also aims to adjust the new ministerial framework resulting from the organic structure of the IX Constitutional Government, whereby the Mission Unit for Combating Stunting will be under the supervision of the Vice-Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs. This draft Decree-Law also aims to ensure effective and efficient coordination between the various government departments and public administration bodies in the execution of the responsibilities related to nutritional security assigned in the Plan.
At the previous meeting of the Council of Ministers, the National Multisectoral Annual Plan to Combat Stunting was also approved for the period 2024 to 2030, with the aim of reducing the rate of stunting and improving nutritional health in Timor-Leste.
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The Council of Ministers endorsed the agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on measures to enhance resilience and livelihoods in the rural sector, presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino. This agreement aims to increase the resilience of approximately 46,000 people in rural areas of the Manatuto Municipality.
The main aim of this project is to improve access to water, promote the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and strengthen the institutional and organizational capacities of rural communities. The initiative, aligned with the priorities of the IX Constitutional Government, includes investments in water infrastructure, the formation of agricultural groups and the development of more diversified and climate-resilient livelihoods. It is also expected that this rural development model to be implemented in Manatuto will be replicated in other municipalities, thus promoting the sustainable development of Timor-Leste.
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Finally, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law establishing the Community Revitalization Program, also presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino.
The program aims to promote the economic and social development of rural communities by supporting productive activities in the agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry and horticulture sectors, as well as infrastructure and equipment of collective interest. Aligned with the principles of sustainability, social inclusion and community participation, the program provides for the granting of subsidies for community projects, to strengthen local capacities and promote the resilience of communities throughout the country. END
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.