Dili, October 22, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste (CCI-TL) convened its second meeting with the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) together with CCI-TL municipal representatives to review the classification and registration of construction companies in Timor-Leste.
In his statement, the President of CCI-TL, Jorge Serrano, said that this was the second meeting to look again at the classification and registration of construction companies, noting that prior to this meeting, CCI-TL and MOP had already held an initial consultation focused on both formal and informal sector issues.
“We thank the Ministry of Public Works for working together with CCI-TL to discuss services in the private sector. We know very well that many Timorese work in civil construction, especially in executing state-funded projects. Through this work we have also faced many concerns, and that is why we are here today to jointly discuss how to strengthen our entrepreneurs so they can perform better in civil construction,” said CCI-TL President Jorge Serrano.
He went on to express appreciation for MOP’s contribution to national development, particularly in infrastructure, despite the many challenges the Ministry faces. He emphasized that CCI-TL remains consistent as a strategic partner of the Government through resolutions and joint work.
“I believe today we will also talk about Decree-Law No. 27/2010 of 22 December, amended by Decree-Law No. 17/2021 of 22 September, concerning the legal regime for certification and registration of civil construction and technical consultancy companies, which was submitted to CCI-TL some time ago. I think many of our municipal and Dili-based teams already understand part of the work we have done and will now discuss it. Following previous meetings marked by the presence of the Prime Minister, we are now meeting with technical teams, and I believe the good intention of MOP and all of us is to set an important standard for civil construction in Timor-Leste, especially within MOP,” said the CCI-TL President.
He added that Timor-Leste will soon accede to ASEAN, and therefore efforts are needed to improve service quality and build the capacity of the private sector. Through its capacity, CCI-TL will facilitate training such as accounting for Timorese entrepreneurs, for a better future.
Meanwhile, Samuel Marçal from the Ministry of Public Works said the meeting with CCI-TL aims to begin, implement and reorganize the national private sector as a crucial step to strengthen the domestic economy.
“The Government has a plan to implement private sector participation, and we must classify private sector actors according to their capacity and resources. Right now, many private sector entities are not well-organized. Some learn to handle major projects but later abandon them,” said Samuel Marçal.
He explained that today’s meeting with CCI-TL was to discuss the private sector and hear its opinions on how it can better implement Government programs. Every year plans come in, but the national private sector has had limited opportunity for involvement. The discussion focused on how to involve the private sector in upcoming infrastructure projects.
“We are starting classification based on capacity and resources, and this year we will begin classifying private sector entities to identify what work should be done next year. Today we heard concerns from the private sector and, together with CCI-TL, will gather concerns and ideas from all municipalities,” he said.
He reaffirmed that following today’s meeting, private sector entities already registered in CCI-TL will be classified by sector. Both CCI-TL and MOP will review criteria and classify companies from A to C, because MOP and CCI-TL do not want to grant opportunities to companies without the capacity to enter Class A, ensuring everything proceeds according to proper standards.
Reporter: Domingas
Photo: Domingas