The American Embassy in Timor-Leste allocated $260,000 for the building of a permanent port for the National Police PNTL’s Maritime Police (POLTIMA) Unit, in Dili.
POLTIMA’sChief Superintendent LinoSaldanha said he and the General Commandant of the PNTL,LonguinosMonteiro, lobbied the embassy for assistance.
“The port should have been finalized in December 2013 but we experienced a few setbacks,” said Chief Saldanha from his office in Kaikoli,Dili.
According to the plans, the port will be inaugurated in January 2014 and part of the reason for the delay has been that materials used for the construction of the port were procured from Australia and shipped through Singapore.
The actual work on the port was undertaken by the American Forcesunder Construction Team 2.
Meanwhile Member of Parliament MP Cesar Valente de Jesus, from Commission B (for Security, Defense and Foreign affairs), said he is appreciative of the cooperation between the PNTL and the American Embassy in Timor-Leste.
“The port will facilitate the work of the Maritime Police,” said MP de Jesus.
The MP said with the new port the POLTIMA will be able to reduce illegal fishing as well as repair damaged patrol boats.
