DILI (TOP) - The government, through a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, has approved the Ministry of Interior's proposal for an Integrated National Plan for the Prevention and Combating of Transnational Digital Financial Fraud Networks, Supported by Illegal Online Platforms, Organized Crime and Cybercrime, and Human Trafficking, for the period 2026-2031.
This plan establishes an integrated national strategy to prevent and combat these threats, which pose a growing risk to national security, economic stability, digital sovereignty, the integrity of the financial system, and Timor-Leste’s international reputation, by strengthening coordination among intelligence agencies, security forces and services, criminal investigation agencies, financial authorities, and border control agencies.
The Plan’s priorities include strengthening the State’s capacity to prevent, detect, investigate, and combat organized cybercrime and human trafficking; protecting the national financial system and critical infrastructure; strengthening immigration control and border security; developing specialized technical capabilities; and promoting regional and international cooperation. Political coordination and oversight of its implementation will be the responsibility of the Inter-ministerial Security Commission. In addition, a Government Decree will establish the National Centre for Coordination, Assessment, and Combating Transnational Threats (CN-CAT), reporting directly to the Prime Minister, as a permanent mechanism for inter-institutional coordination.
The Plan will be implemented in three phases between 2026 and 2031. The first phase will include establishing the CN-CAT, defining operational procedures, assessing national capabilities, and initiating a review of the legislative framework. In the second phase, the technical capabilities of institutions will be strengthened, technological systems will be implemented, joint operations will be developed, and international cooperation will be deepened, culminating in 2031 with the consolidation of national capabilities, the evaluation of the results achieved, and the updating of the National Plan, ensuring a sustainable and coordinated response to transnational threats.
