Dili, 20 February 2026

The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (MCAE), represented by the General Coordinator, Jorge Martins, held an official meeting at the Government Palace with representatives of the World Bank for Timor-Leste, David Freedman to reinforce the implementation of the Business Ready (B-Ready) framework as a strategic instrument to enhance national economic quality and ensure alignment with regional standards.

The meeting forms part of Timor-Leste’s broader structural reform agenda aimed at strengthening the business environment, attracting investment, and deepening regional economic integration, particularly within the framework of the ASEAN Economic Community. According to World Bank experts, B-Ready serves as a central mechanism to drive regulatory reforms, improve institutional predictability, and increase economic competitiveness.
Replacing the former Doing Business model, the B-Ready framework adopts a more comprehensive methodology covering access to finance (including secured transactions and collateral registries), effectiveness of competition law, investor protection, digitalization of trade facilitation procedures, and efficiency of public services for businesses.

Preliminary assessments have identified priority reform sectors aligned with national legal modernization efforts, including the Export Code and forthcoming Property Law. These initiatives aim to mobilize domestic resources, ensure compliance with commitments under the World Trade Organization (WTO), and strengthen Timor-Leste’s competitiveness in global markets.

The discussion also emphasized modernization of digital customs systems such as ASYCUDA to enhance transparency and efficiency. In the agricultural sector, strengthening human capital and labor productivity was identified as essential to addressing structural challenges and ensuring long-term food security.
MCAE reaffirmed that human capital development through targeted technical and vocational training remains a strategic priority. It was further recommended that the B-Ready framework be integrated as a national Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to systematically monitor reform progress.
The collaboration between MCAE and the World Bank underscores the Government’s commitment to transforming Timor-Leste into a resilient, competitive economy fully integrated into regional and global trade systems.