The National Parliament has allocated US$500 million towards the cons-truction of the new port in Tibar Bay, Liquiça District, 45 minutes from the capital Dili, because the Port of Dili has become too small and is often congested.
Member of Parliament MP Pedro dos Martires da Costa, President of Commission E (for infrastructure, and transport and communication) said the Dili Port cannot accommodate many ships arriving at the same time.
“We allocated $500 million for the Tibar Port but construction will be done in stages though a Private Public Partnership (PPP),” said MP Martires at the National Parliament, Dili.
He added that as per the PPP agreement, the government will partner with the private sector to fund the construction and operation of the port.
“Every year we make improvements to the Port of Dili but it still cannot attend to the number of ships coming to Timor,” said MP Marires. “Our Dili Port can only accommodate two vessels and three small ships at one time.”
The results from a site survey have been presented to Commission E and the commission has recommended that the government improves the plans to speed up the beginning of the construction of the new port in Tibar.
Dili Port Authority APORTIL Director Lino Barreto said construction of the new Tibar Port is still being developed.
A tender process is still underway with four companies competing for the contract. A decision is expected to be reached between May to June 2015.
“The four companies are from overseas and I cannot recall their names but assistance is being provided by the World Bank. We are observing only what the World Bank does,” said Director Barreto.
Director of local cons-truction company EDS, Lino Lopes said the government’s plan to build a new port in Tibar is very good because it will facilitate other nations coming to do business in Timor-Leste.
“What I am concerned about is whether the company that wins the Tibar project to construct the port will be able to complete he contract.”
