DILI, 20 december 2021 (TATOLI) – The government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Finance (MoF), signed an agreement with the Australian Government in Partnership for Infrastructure (P4I) with the aim to facilitate Timor-Leste to have access to the support of P4I for infrastructure development in the future.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes, and the Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Peter Roberts at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili, on monday.
The agreement marked another significant milestone for the strong cooperation between the government of Timor-Leste and Australia to ensure infrastructure development for Timor-Leste in the future.
It included the expansion of the Nicolau Lobato International Airport next year.
Gomes said the expansion of the Airport and its facilities would help Timor-Leste to ensure its security frameworks and standards, which would facilitate the acceleration of its ASEAN and WTO membership in the future.
He said the expansion of the airport would transform the economy of the nation by boosting its connectivity with big cities of Asian countries.
The signing of the agreement signaled a good sign of Australian commitment to continue supporting Timor-Leste’s to solve its infrastructure development as well as to liberate the nation from its current status as one of the least-developed countries.
The airport would be expanded with an estimated cost of US$480 million. So far, the government had allocated US$300 million, as well as 100 million loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Previously, the Government of Japan had also demonstrated its commitment to support US$44 million for the airport revamp.
More than 200 households living near the airport would be evacuated by the Government.
Journalist: Antónia Gusmão
Editor: Julia Chatarina
Translation: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
