LocationsEnhancing Public Service Accessibility: Liquiça Inaugurates Its Third One-Stop-Shop ‘Balkaun Úniku’ to Improve Government Service Delivery
Symbolic Inauguration of the One-Stop-Shop (Balkaun Úniku) in Liquica Municipality. The office was officially inaugurated by H.E. the Minister of State Administration, the Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, the Minister of Justice, and other relevant special guests.
João Crisostomo/UNDP Timor-Leste
Liquiça, February 21, 2025: Timor-Leste - The Government of Timor-Leste through Ministry of State Administration (MSA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), proudly inaugurated a new One-Stop-Shop (OSS) which is known as Balkaun Uniku in Liquica Municipality.
The President of Authority of Liquica Municipality Mr. Paulino Ribeiro, in the opening remarks expressed “(his) thanks to the central government through ministry of State Administration to be able to hold the inauguration of BU/OSS in Liquica together with UNDP”.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Ms. Adeline Carrier reaffirmed UNDP's continued support for the initiative." The Balkaun Uniku initiative reflects UNDP’s deep commitment to support Government in good governance, decentralization, and service delivery reform. This is not just about efficiency; it is about empowering citizens, strengthening trust in institutions, and ensuring that government services are truly accessible, inclusive, and citizen centered. To the people of Liquiça, this Balkaun Uniku is for you. It is designed to simplify your interactions with government institutions, saving you time, effort, and resources. We encourage you to use these services and help us improve them by providing feedback.
Government members, the UNDP representative, and other distinguished guests visit the office, observing the Balkaun Úniku facilities and equipment that support the processing of essential documents.
João Crisostomo/UNDP Timor-Leste
The inauguration of the Balkaun Úniku in Liquiça follows the successful launch of two Balkaun Úniku centers in Baucau and Manatuto, with more planned across the country. These centers play a crucial role in modernizing service delivery, promoting good governance, and strengthening institutional capacities at the municipal level. Furthermore, they align with Timor-Leste’s strategic plan, particularly in advancing digitalization efforts to support decentralization.
The Minister of Justice Dr. Sergio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai further added in his remarks, “We’ve established the partnership alongside with international agency namely UNDP to bring the public service closer to our community. This is the continuation work to integrate services in a way more effective and efficient in the application to obtain passport, national identification cards, marriage certificate, death certificates, good behavior certificate and birth certificate”.
The Balkaun Uniku centers have already begun to make a tangible difference in the lives of citizens by providing a centralized and efficient platform for accessing services.. The centers are empowering individuals, fostering local economic development, and building trust between citizens and government institutions.
Furthermore, H.E. Minister of State Administration (MSA) Mr. Tomás do Rosário Cabral emphasized in his remarks that based on the Government Resolution No. 6/2025, BU/OSS will be installed in all territory. After finalizing BU/OSS in all municipalities, the MSA will then focus to the Center of Administrative Modernization (CMA) to centralize all the data and to serve as a training center”.
The official inauguration was attended by distinguished guests namely, Vise Minister of State Administration, Secretary of State of Veteran, President of Authority of Liquica and other distinguished guests from the relevant institutions.
UNDP’s Commitment to Strengthening Governance
As part of its mission, UNDP continues to support the Government of Timor-Leste in advancing decentralization and public service reforms. Through initiatives like Balkaun Úniku, UNDP is committed to strengthening institutional capacities, enhancing digital governance, ensuring that no one is left behind in the country’s development process, promoting sustainable governance systems that empower communities, and improving service delivery and transparency at all levels of government. By leveraging innovative solutions and strategic partnerships, UNDP aims to create long-term impacts that drive good governance and citizen-centered services in Timor-Leste.
For further information or media inquiries regarding OSS/Balkaun Úniku, please contact Julio Amaral Guterres, julio.amara.guterres@undp.org
