Timor-Leste advances social security coverage for informal workers

DILI, Timor-Leste (ILO News) - Thirty representatives from government institutions, workers’ and employers’ organizations and civil society gathered in Dili, Timor-Leste, for a two-day tripartite workshop on 11–12 March. The workshop marked a significant step toward extending social security coverage to workers in the informal economy. Together, national stakeholders developed a roadmap and joint workplan for 2026, aligning proposed activities with institutional priorities and clearly defining roles and responsibilities.

The workshop was conducted by the ILO through its Strengthening Social Inclusion and Nutrition in Timor-Leste project. Funded by the European Union, the ILO aims to expand social protection coverage for informal workers and farmers by adapting schemes to local needs while increasing awareness at the community level.

Working closely with the ILO, we will expand coverage by providing training to relevant partners and conducting awareness campaigns, ensuring outreach to register potential workers and strengthening protection across the workforce.

Zeferino da Costa Bobo, President of the National Institute for Social Security and the Social Security Reserve Fund

Participants agreed that the National Social Security Institute (INSS) will lead the technical implementation, including training municipal and community-level actors, finalizing communication materials and piloting outreach campaigns. The Confederation of Trade Unions of Timor-Leste (KSTL) will mobilize informal workers and support their participation in advocacy and awareness-raising initiatives. From the employers’ side, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste (CCI-TL) and the Associação Empresarial das Mulheres de Timor-Leste (AEMTL) will engage micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), provide business support, and promote understanding of the contributory social security scheme.

In addition, the Secretary of State for Equality will support women’s economic empowerment and their inclusion in the scheme. Civil society organizations, including the Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations of Timor-Leste (FONGTIL), will implement community-level outreach activities. Relevant ministries – such as the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Secretary of State for Cooperatives – will ensure policy alignment and coordination across partners.

© ILO

© ILO

Expressing strong commitment, President of the National Institute for Social Security and the Social Security Reserve Fund, Zeferino da Costa Bobo, emphasized: “We are committed to expanding social security coverage for informal workers, while also ensuring inclusion of the formal sector. Working closely with the ILO, we will expand coverage by providing training to relevant partners and conducting awareness campaigns, ensuring outreach to register potential workers and strengthening protection across the workforce.”

From the workers’ perspective, First Vice President of the Timor-Leste Trade Union Confederation (TLTUC), Serafico Natalino Soares, highlighted the organization’s dedication to promoting workers’ inclusion by encouraging and supporting their participation in the contributory social security system, ensuring their rights are recognized and protected.

“This effort will be reinforced through the creation and promotion of targeted benefit programmes,” he said. “These will include compensation for work-related injuries, maternity and family support, old-age pensions, and income protection during unemployment or economic hardship. Together, these initiatives aim to enhance financial security, improve well-being and provide long-term social protection for informal workers, contributing to a more inclusive and resilient labour system.”

The ILO will continue to support the finalization and endorsement of the workplan, the development of training and communication tools, the implementation of pilot initiatives and the monitoring of results.

Sriyani Mudiyanselage, ILO Technical Officer for Social Protection

From the employers’ perspective, Vice President of CCI-TL for Empowerment and Institutional Strengthening and Women’s Business Empowerment, Jacinta A. Pereira, underscored the private sector’s commitment to empowering MSMEs, particularly women entrepreneurs, and promoting inclusive economic growth. “Together, we will engage the private sector, provide capacity-building opportunities and raise awareness to ensure that all enterprises have access to resources, markets and leadership development, while encouraging participation in the contributory social security system in Timor-Leste,” she said.

Sriyani Mudiyanselage, ILO Technical Officer for Social Protection, emphasized that the workshop has laid the foundation for an inclusive social protection system that leaves no one behind. “The ILO will continue to support the finalization and endorsement of the workplan, the development of training and communication tools, the implementation of pilot initiatives and the monitoring of results. These steps aim to increase enrolment of informal economy workers in the contributory social security scheme and strengthen social protection across Timor-Leste.”

The final joint workplan is expected to be completed and shared with all partners by the end of March 2026. It will be formally submitted to INSS for endorsement in April, after which implementation of the agreed activities will begin.