Public Holidays in Timor-Leste for 2019
Timor-Leste is a small country that is half of Timor Island. It has a population of approximately 1.3 million. There are about 16 different ethnic groups and 32 dialects. There are currently two parts of Timor-Leste. The West, which is part of Indonesia and the East is a Portuguese territory since it became independent. It is a peaceful and democratic nation that has been improving its living standards.
The investors of Timor-Leste are because of its future growth, competitiveness, and productivity. The workforce is skilled and ready to handle the demands of any business.
When it comes to public holidays, they have 19 in 2019 which are being celebrated. If you are planning to invest in Timor-Leste, you must be aware of them.
What Employers Must Know About Public Holidays in Timor-Leste
Annual leave is the right of employees which is determined by how long they have been with the company. Also, it must not affect their work entitlement or benefits. Also, their holiday must be paid. An employee can be granted leave from work if it is an occasion or the date is commemorative, and if the national event is relevant or it relates to the service.
The employer must allow the employee if they are professing religion, and the law does not contemplate the festive dates. They must be enabled to observe dates like public holidays.
The written notice about an employee’s time off from work must indicate the duration of the time they are not expected to report to work. Their time off must not impede other employees from communicating to work because the leave is not applicable to them.
Dates of the Timor-Leste Public Holiday 2019
| Date | Day/s | Holiday | Type |
| 1 January | Tuesday | New Year’s Day | Public |
| 21 March | Thursday | March Equinox | Season |
| 19 April | Friday | Good Friday | Public |
| 1 May | Wednesday | Labor Day / May Day | Public |
| 20 May | Monday | Restoration of Independence Day | Public |
| 6 June | Thursday | Eid ul Fitr | Public |
| 20 June | Thursday | Corpus Christi | Public |
| 22 June | Saturday | June Solstice | Season |
| 11 August | Sunday | Eid ul Adha | Public |
| 30 August | Friday | Popular Consultation Day | Public |
| 23 September | Monday | September Equinox | Season |
| 1 November | Friday | All Saints’ Day | Public |
| 2 November | Saturday | All Souls’ Day | Public |
| 12 November | Tuesday | Youth National Day | Public |
| 28 November | Thursday | Proclamation of Independence Day | Public |
| 7 December | Saturday | National Heroes Day | Public |
| 8 December | Sunday | Day of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception | Public |
| 22 December | Sunday | December Solstice | Season |
| 25 December | Wednesday | Christmas Day | Public |
Employee Benefits During Public Holidays in Timor-Leste
A public holiday is considered an actual workday, and employees are not obligated to report to work without their pay and benefits being forfeited. If the employee must work on a public holiday, they are entitled to receive compensation based on the conditions that are established by the government.
Doing Business in Timor-Leste
There are distinct opportunities for investors in Timor-Leste because of the improving infrastructure. Also, their government started spending more on infrastructure. The promising industry in Timor-Leste is agriculture if you want to open a business there. It is best to focus on coconuts, beans, coffee, sweet potatoes, corn, and more.
They also have a lot of marine resources which can benefit your business if you want to be in the fishing industry.
When it comes to market strategies, there isn’t a lot of professional market research that consults organizations or companies based in Timor-Leste. Therefore, it is still best to have personal connections and relationships are still the main ways to reach the Timorese market. That means you must continuously be in touch with the locals to help you understand better how to do business in their country. If you have local partners, they can help you win a bid on projects and gain huge contracts.
You must know that Timor-Leste has no forex regulations and you can remit it for free. The commercial banks and central bank supervision must report when there are significant funds that exceed a specific limit. They do this to detect those who are into money laundering, which means you must report if you have more than 5,000 cash.
Foreign investors are welcome here, which is why you must set up a business in Timor-Leste.
