DILI, 16 April 2026 (TATOLI) — Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão said on Wednesday the government has given developer Pelican Paradise 10 days to vacate land at its resort project site in Tibar and Tasi Tolu.
The site, where the foundation stone was laid in November 2023, must be cleared to make way for new investments, Xanana Gusmão told reporters after his weekly meeting with President José Ramos-Horta at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace, in Dili, today.
“There is already a resolution instructing the Vice Prime Minister, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, to contact Pelican Paradise to agree on a 10-day deadline for their departure, freeing up the space for other investments,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that attracting new investors to the project could help prepare Timor-Leste to host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in 2029.
Gusmão said the government had fulfilled all requirements requested by the developer, including providing essential infrastructure such as electricity and water at the project site.
“The state fulfilled all the developer’s requests, including providing electricity and water. However, additional financial demands were later introduced, including requirements for further bank guarantees, which we consider inappropriate for an investor of this scale,” he said.
Pelican Paradise has proposed a large-scale development covering around 588 hectares between Tasi Tolu and Tibar, with an estimated investment of more than $700 million.
The project includes hotels, residential plots, golf courses, a youth development centre, an international school, a hospital and commercial areas.
TATOLI
