LAUNCH OF THE MCI AWARD 2025: INNOVATION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND RESILIENCE

Dili, October 21, 2025

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Nino Pereira, today launched the MCI Award 2025, with the theme "Innovation for Economic Growth and Resilience", emphasizing entrepreneurial innovation as a strategy to boost economic growth and resilience in Timor-Leste, especially for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The MCI Award 2025 Program is a prestigious program that values innovative, creative, and positive contributions to economic diversification and the promotion and development of product sectors in the commerce and industry areas of Timor-Leste.

In his speech, Minister Nino stated that the launch of the MCI Award 2025 is a recognition for the work that micro, small, and medium enterprises demonstrate through their contribution to the economy.

"We must properly prepare our informal sector so that its existence is continually strengthened through formal channels. There must be registration with classification for small and medium enterprises, based on the type of business and their capital, so that we can know the number of workers and classify them as micro, small, and medium enterprises, in order to give recognition, motivate, and continually stimulate MSMEs as an integral part of economic development to maintain and follow the policy of the IX Constitutional Government." - Said Minister Nino Pereira in his Speech.

The ceremony took place in the MCI Auditorium Hall, Fomento Mandarin Dili, and was attended by the President of the National Commercial Bank of Timor-Leste, Representatives from Line Ministries, Heads of Structure, and civil Servants.