DILI, May 13, 2020 (TATOLI) – Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak will gain two deputies “to assist in exercising his powers,” under a restructure of the government ministries.
The changes were approved yesterday and outlined in a statement from the president of the Council of Ministers.
They include eliminating three portfolios, while creating some new ones; however the government has yet to name who will fill the new roles.
“The government positions of Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment [MPIE] are extinguished,” the statement reads.
Those positions will be replaced by a Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and the Media, and Minister for Planning and Territorial Management, respectively. The Ministry of State will also be abolished.
Other new positions include:
– a Deputy Minister for Cultural and Community Tourism;
– a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry; and
– a Deputy Minister of the Interior.
“With this Decree-Law, the tasks of legislative reform, legislative process and administrative reform are placed under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers,” the council of ministers said in a statement.
“The Ministry of Justice will start to concentrate all the Government’s duties in terms of judicial reform,” the statement said.
Finance Minister Fidélis Manuel Leite Magalhães explained that his former portfolio of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs will pass on to the Minister of Justice.
“The Ministry of Planning and Territorial Management, which succeeds MPIE, will be in charge of dealing with all matters in matters of planning and land use, leaving the Minister of Public Works to continue any assignments in matters of urban planning,” he said yesterday, following the Council of Ministers meeting.
Mr Magalhães also said that the National Procurement Commission will become part of the Ministry of Finance, and that the g7+ Secretariat will be excluded.
“The g7+ Secretariat become an independent entity that is not included in the public administration framework,” he concluded.
The g7+ is an intergovernmental organisation for fragile states, countries with active conflicts or those that have experienced recent conflicts. It was created in 2010 on the initiative of Timor-Leste and the secretariat is based in Dili.
Journalist: Evaristo Soares Martins
Editors: Robert Baird, Cancio Ximenes
Translation: Nelia Borges
