Government expands access to electricity and water in Ermera and Bobonaro
DÍLI, 20 September 2026 (TATOLI) – The Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal, inaugurated new electrification and clean water supply systems in the municipalities of Ermera and Bobonaro on September 18th and 19th, 2026, as part of Government interventions to expand community access to basic infrastructure and services.
On September 18th, in the municipality of Ermera, the Minister of Public Works, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Electricity, Water, and Sanitation, Santos Noronha, officials from Eletricidade de Timor-Leste (EDTL, E.P.) and Bee Timor-Leste (BTL, E.P.), members of the Government, municipal and local authorities, and other entities, inaugurated electrification and water supply projects in the Atsabe and Letefoho Administrative Posts.
In Atsabe, the electrification network serving the hamlets of Ilat Kora, Baboleta, Malabe, and Batumigi within Malabe village came into operation. Minister Samuel Marçal explained that the electricity supply to the Atsabe Administrative Post currently depends on the Camea Substation in Dili and appealed for the collaboration of communities in preserving the network and its equipment.
The Ministry of Public Works and EDTL, E.P. are also preparing a plan to construct an electrical substation in the municipality of Ermera, aimed at strengthening the stability of the energy supply in the municipality, particularly in the Atsabe Administrative Post.
On the same occasion, the project to improve the Atsabe water supply system, covering the villages of Parami, Laclo, Baboi Craic, and Malabe Vila, was inaugurated. The system benefits 569 households, representing more than three thousand inhabitants, and also supplies public facilities.
The works included the installation of transmission and distribution pipelines, reservoirs, and 24 distribution units, as well as household connections and meter installations.
In the municipality of Ermera, the Minister of Public Works also inaugurated the extension of the electricity grid to the hamlets of Olopana, Taurema, and Lequisalac in Eraulo village, Letefoho Administrative Post. The project provides electricity to 241 households, of which 39 are in Taurema, 67 in Lequisalac, and 135 in Olopana.
At the ceremony, Samuel Marçal stressed that visits to the municipalities allow government members to directly monitor community conditions and identify needs, particularly in roads, water, and electricity infrastructure.
“We must set priorities to realise the rights of the population. Often, when I visit the municipalities, the elderly always ask for roads, water, and electricity. They do not ask for anything else. This reflects an expectation of the Government, which must make efforts to address the needs presented by the population,” he stated.
The President of the Executive Board of EDTL, E.P., Paulo da Silva, highlighted the collaboration between local authorities and communities in the execution of the works and appealed for the preservation of infrastructure and for the safe and responsible use of electrical energy.
In Eraulo, EDTL provided the necessary materials for the grid extension and relied on the community’s collaboration to carry out the work. New beneficiaries will be able to use electricity free of charge for the first six months. After this period, EDTL technical teams will conduct awareness-raising activities and proceed to regularise connections and install the respective meters.
For isolated communities where extending the national electricity grid is not technically feasible, EDTL foresees solutions through the installation of solar systems under the rural energy programme, following a technical assessment of on-site conditions.
The following day, September 19th, the Minister of Public Works continued his visit to communities in the municipality of Bobonaro, where he launched the project to rehabilitate approximately 8.9 kilometres of the Bobonaro–Lolotoe road and inaugurated the project to improve the water supply system in the Lolotoe Administrative Post.
The new water supply system in Lolotoe benefits 188 households, representing 1,126 inhabitants, and also supplies public facilities. The project, executed in two lots, included constructing and installing reservoirs, transmission and distribution pipelines, household connections, and meters.
Investment in the two lots exceeded US$ 300,000. The system is supplied by two springs, with a combined flow rate of 2.05 litres per second and includes 4.8 kilometres of transmission pipelines and 1.3 kilometres of distribution pipelines.
During the ceremony, Samuel Marçal urged local authorities and communities to preserve the new facilities and to use public infrastructure responsibly.
On the same day, the Minister launched the Bobonaro–Lolotoe road rehabilitation project, spanning approximately 8.9 kilometres, with a budget of US$11.98 million and an 18-month execution timeframe. The intervention aims to improve traffic conditions and community access to markets, educational establishments, and health services.
According to BTL, E.P., investments in water supply systems already cover the headquarters of 33 Administrative Posts, with plans to continue interventions at the remaining, as yet uncovered, headquarters.
The interventions carried out in Ermera and Bobonaro are part of the Government’s actions to expand electricity and water network coverage and to improve access infrastructure in the municipalities.
TATOLI
