The East Timor Transitional Cabinet decided today to request SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello to expand the Inspector General’s current audit on the recruitment process for secondary school teachers to include primary school teachers as well.
The Cabinet made the decision after a briefing on the recruitment of primary school teachers.
Inspector General Mariano Lopes is conducting an investigation on the selection process of the secondary school teachers after the Education Department received complaints in several districts on the lack of transparency.
The Cabinet also endorsed draft amendments to Regulation 2000/18 to better define and control exemptions from import duty of various items. In particular, the amendments are intended to prevent abuse of the exemption regime that applies to goods imported for charitable purposes. These amendments will now be put before the National Consultative Council.
The Cabinet finalized a three-chapter Cabinet Manual that describes its work and the process by which policy proposals and draft legislation are developed by the East Timorese Transitional Administration and are approved by the Cabinet. The Manual is to be disseminated to ETTA and the public.
Cabinet members also received a briefing on the University of East Timor.
Finally, the Cabinet was briefed on the draft regulation on political parties, currently the subject of consultation among East Timorese interest groups.
FIRST ROUND OF TIMOR GAP TALKS ENDS
The first formal round of negotiations between UNTAET, representing East Timor, and the Government of Australia on the Timor Gap ended today in Dili after four days of constructive discussions.
The negotiations are on the future treaty that will govern the resources of the Timor Gap.
The discussions focused on issues already identified during previous informal talks, as well as some new issues.
It is expected that several further rounds of negotiations will be needed to resolve the matters. The date for the next round of negotiations has not been agreed to.
