# Minister of Public Works (Timor-Leste)

The Minister of Public Works (Portuguese: Ministro das Obras Públicas, Tetum: Ministru Obras Públikas) is a senior member of the Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste heading the Ministry of Public Works.

## Functions

Under the Constitution of Timor-Leste, the Minister has the power and the duty:
* to implement the policy defined for the Ministry of Public Works;
* to ensure relations between the Government and the other organs of the State in the area of responsibility of the Ministry.
Where the Minister is in charge of the subject matter of a government statute, the Minister is also required, together with the Prime Minister, to sign the statute.

## Incumbent

The incumbent Minister of Public Works is Samuel Marçal.

## List of ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as the minister:
| No. | Party | Minister | Title | Government (Prime Minister) | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Fretilin | Eduardo Carlos dos Anjos "Kaku'uk" [de] | Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications | 1975 CoM (Lobato) | 1 December 1975 | 17 December 1975 | 16 days |
| 2 | UDT | João Viegas Carrascalão | Minister for Infrastructure | I UNTAET (Vieira de Mello) | 15 July 2000 | 16 July 2001 | 1 year, 1 day |
| 3 | Fretilin | Ovídio de Jesus Amaral [de] | Minister for Infrastructure | I UNTAET (Vieira de Mello) | 16 July 2001 | 20 September 2001 | 66 days |
| 4 | Fretilin | César Vital Moreira [de] | Minister of Water and Public Works | II UNTAET (Alkatiri) | 20 September 2001 | 20 May 2002 | 242 days |
| (3) | Fretilin | Ovídio Amaral [de] | Minister of Transport, Communications and Public Works | I Constitutional (Alkatiri) | 20 May 2002 | 26 July 2005 | 3 years, 67 days |
| 5 | Independent | Odete Vítor [de] | Minister of Public Works | I Constitutional (Alkatiri) | 26 July 2005 | 1 June 2006 | 2 years, 13 days |
| 5 | Independent | Odete Vítor [de] | Minister of Public Works | II Constitutional (Ramos-Horta) | 10 July 2006 | 19 May 2007 | 2 years, 13 days |
| 5 | Independent | Odete Vítor [de] | Minister of Public Works | III Constitutional (da Silva) | 19 May 2007 | 8 August 2007 | 2 years, 13 days |
| 6 | Independent | Pedro Lay [de] | Minister of Infrastructure | IV Constitutional (Gusmão) | 8 August 2007 | 8 August 2012 | 5 years, 0 days |
| 7 | PD | Gastão Francisco de Sousa | Minister of Public Works | V Constitutional (Gusmão) | 8 August 2012 | 16 February 2015 | 5 years, 38 days |
| 7 | PD (to 2016) | Gastão Francisco de Sousa | Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications | VI Constitutional (Araújo) | 16 February 2015 | 15 September 2017 | 5 years, 38 days |
| 7 | Independent | Gastão Francisco de Sousa | Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications | VI Constitutional (Araújo) | 16 February 2015 | 15 September 2017 | 5 years, 38 days |
| | | Vacant | | VII Constitutional (Alkatiri) | 3 October 2017 | 22 June 2018 | 262 days |
| 8 | PLP | Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires | Minister of Public Works | VIII Constitutional (Ruak) | 22 June 2018 | 22 March 2022 | 3 years, 273 days |
| 9 | PLP | Abel Pires da Silva | Minister of Public Works | VIII Constitutional (Ruak) | 22 March 2022 | 1 July 2023 | 1 year, 101 days |
| 10 | CNRT | Samuel Marçal | Minister of Public Works | IX Constitutional (Gusmão) | 1 July 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 259 days |