DILI, 9 august 2022 (TATOLI)– United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) and the Ministry of State Administration (MoSA) organized a workshop aimed at disseminating new laws on local power, and administrative decentralization and municipal elections to the President of Municipal Authorities across the country.
UNDP Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel said the laws aim to make significant changes in the public administration regime in the country as they envision competent local authorities with their responsibilities to be implemented by locally elected representatives in a participatory and inclusive manner.
This law was promulgated by the Former President of the Republic of Timor-Leste, Francisco Guterres Lu Olo in 2021.
“Former President Lu Olo, has announced two laws in 2021, and today’s workshop is to deepen understanding of the laws that have been enacted to align with the municipality’s strategic development plans,” said UNDP Resident Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel in his remarks, at the Hotel Timor, this Tuesday.
Minister of State Administration, Miguel de Carvalho said today that MSA conducted a one-day activity that focused on socializing the law on local competence and decentralization.
“Law articles 5, 71, and 72 authorize local governments to manage their municipal administrations, while in the ratification law we have achieved the goal of decentralization, namely to improve services to our citizens,” he said.
Regional Power and Administrative Decentralization consists of 18 fields including education, health, culture, civil protection, energy, environment, land registration, notary, tourism, etc: “The competence of these fields will be transferred to the municipal authorities,”
In the same place the Head of EU Cooperation in Timor-Leste, Ramón Reigada added despite all the circumstances facing the Government since 2020 such as COVID-19, and the flooding caused by Typhoon Seroja; the government has demonstrated a commitment to continuing the decentralization process.
“The promulgation of two great laws on decentralization namely, the Law on Local Power and Administrative Decentralization and the Law on the Municipal Election indicates a strong-shared commitment to implement it, even in the event of a short/medium term political change,” said Reigada.
To support the program of the Government of Timor-Leste, the European Union has provided financial support of 55 million euros to support government programs across the country.
Related News:https://en.tatoli.tl/2022/06/10/european-union-provided-eur-55-million-to-focus-on-two-main-programs/06/
The workshop was attended by the President of the Municipal Authority and the Deputy Administrators of all the municipalities in Timor-Leste.
Journalist: Jose Belarmino De Sa
Editor: Neli Borges
