Dili, 04 Mei 2026 (Media Democraca) – The Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) has submitted a proposal to the Council of Ministers (KM) to discuss and review the minimum wage from $115.00 to increase it to $154.00.
According to the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE), Rogério Araújo Mendonça, preparations for the minimum wage, especially the review of the $115.00 salary, are being made so it can be changed to an amount that fits the current situation.
“We see that the $115.00 salary has been in place for 14 years already, according to the National Labor Council’s (CNT) guidelines, every two years we should review the minimum wage itself. So in 2025 we already took this proposal to the Council of Ministers specifically to review the minimum wage and raise it to a nominal amount that relates to the current market here, at that time we proposed $150.00, but the Council of Ministers gave a recommendation to SEFOPE and the National Labor Council that further consultation was needed with line ministries such as Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Finance to look at the impact whether raising the salary would cause inflation in our country or not.” said the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE), Rogério Araújo, at the Dili Convention Center, 30/04/2026.
He affirmed that the law on veterans’ pensions is separate, and the law on minimum wage is separate, the minimum wage only regulates workers employed by the private sector, after explanations were given to veterans, the veterans agreed and said that SEFOPE and CNT should take the proposal to the Council of Ministers, and the veterans’ side also gives 100% support.
“From the Ministry of Finance, through the Statistics and Macroeconomics Directorate, their recommendation came with a value of $154.00. I think they have already done analysis and looked at studies from 2012 until now. They said there would be no influence if we raise the minimum wage to $154.00, there would be no major inflation domestically. So SEFOPE and CNT have already prepared the said law and submitted it to the MCAE. We hope that next week, when the Prime Minister returns from his trip, he can read it and it can get approval from the Council of Ministers, and from there we can announce it to the public.” he said.
He further stated that the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) truly guarantees workers’ rights when it sees that employers or those who give jobs to their workers use methods such as paying, or giving compensation back to their workers.
Report By: Trainees Leozalia and Juliana
Photo By: Trainee Juliana