DILI, 25 February 2025 (TATOLI) – The European Union organized, in partnership with the Ministry of State Administration, a workshop to discuss decentralization in Timor-Leste on the subject “Bringing Municipal Services Closer to Timor-Leste’s Citizens”.
The event counted with the participation of key stakeholders on the decentralization process: government organizations, development partners, and civil society and contributed to reflect on the progress of decentralization in Timor-Leste, to discuss the challenges faced, and to identify steps to advance local governance and service delivery.
The workshop “Bringing Municipal Services closer to Timor-Leste’s Citizens” was organized in three discussion panels on women’s leadership in municipal governance, optimization of the One-Stop Shop model for better service delivery, and preparation of municipalities for the upcoming Strategy for Administrative Decentralization (2025-2028). Participants debated the challenges and opportunities for the development of decentralization in the country.
Marc Fiedrich, Ambassador of the EU to Timor-Leste, highlighted the EU’s contributions and commitment to supporting the decentralization process and the importance to discuss achievements and challenges in a participative dialogue.
“Today’s workshop is a crucial part of the European Union’s ongoing commitment to supporting Timor-Leste’s decentralization efforts. It serves as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and exchange of ideas between government authorities, international partners, civil society and development stakeholders. Through these conversations that we can build a shared vision and actionable recommendations to move the decentralization process forward and bring municipal services closer to the people,” said Ambassador Fiedrich at the Hotel Timor in Dili, today.
Tomás do Rosário Cabral, Minister of State Administration, reaffirmed the Government of Timor-Leste’s dedication to advancing decentralization.
In his opening remarks, Cabral explained that the One-Stop-Shop (Balkaun Uniko) is a key government initiative to bring services closer to citizens: “Balkaun Uniko provides 19 services from different ministries. The initiative also promotes digitalization, allowing citizens to apply for services online via a website or mobile app, with pilot programs starting in two municipalities.”
Cabral highlighted the support from development partners, which contributed to strengthen local governance and to improve access of services to citizens.
The event marked a significant step in Timor-Leste’s decentralization journey, providing valuable insights into the progress made and the work still ahead to bring essential services closer to citizens efficiently.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
