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Díli, 23/10/2024: His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, Dr. José Honório, accompanied by the Director-General of Planning and Finance, Mr. Hernâni Viterbo da Costa Soares, along with ministry heads and technical staff, participated in a hearing with Parliamentary Commission G regarding the MESCC’s 2024 budget execution report and the proposed budget plan for 2025. The meeting took place at the former Ministry of Finance building.
The session began with a presentation by His Excellency the Minister, who outlined the MESCC’s budget execution from January to October 2024. During this period, a total of $9,132,072 was executed, representing 89% of the allocated budget. It is projected that by 31 December, the execution will reach 97%.
The Minister highlighted that the 2024 State Budget (OGE), amounting to $9.1 million, allocates $5 million to the Public Subsidy Fund intended for Private Higher Education Institutions. According to the Ministry of Finance’s guidelines, 40% of the funds will be initially transferred to monitor the progress of implementation, followed by the remaining 60% to complete the allocation.
The goal of this government subsidy is to strengthen the needs of private institutions, including improving infrastructure, purchasing essential materials for students and teachers, developing human resources, and supporting Portuguese language training programs.
For the 2025 State Budget, the Ministry plans to reduce expenditures, prioritizing three strategic programs with a total budget of $6.9 million allocated to the MESCC. The priorities for the upcoming year include:
1. Continuing public subsidies to Private Higher Education Institutions.
2. Planning the establishment of a Doctoral School.
3. Preparing to build a University or Polytechnic Institution focused on Tourism and Hospitality in Lospalos, Lautém municipality.
Furthermore, to ensure the continuation of the construction of the Betano Polytechnic Institute (IPB), the Ministry has already initiated the tender process for the next phase of the project. This includes the construction of the main building and the completion of the surrounding landscape, which is expected to be finalized within the next year.
Another key initiative for this year is the implementation of a digital database system, which currently covers all 19 Higher Education Institutions in Timor-Leste. The system is expected to be launched to the public soon, enabling the country to ensure the quality and reliability of higher education data.
The public hearing session concluded with His Excellency the Minister, Dr. José Honório, officially presenting the 2024 Budget Execution Report to Parliamentary Commission G.
