Timor-Leste and JICA sign a US$ 37.5 million Financing Agreement
The Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes, representing the State of Timor-Leste, and the representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ITO Mimpei, signed, on February 8th, 2023, a public grant agreement in the amount of US$ 37.5 million, at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, in the Ministry of Finance.
This agreement aims to finance the construction of the new passenger terminal at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (AIPNL – Portuguese acronym), including the water supply system and support facilities and equipment.
The Minister of Finance also referred that "for the first phase, the Government has already secured funding through ADB, in an amount of US$ 135 million, through Australia, with US$ 73.4 million, and through JICA, with US$ 37.5 million. The Government's counterpart for all components is US$ 52 million. Therefore, the overall budget for the first phase is US$ 297.9 million. With this budget, we can already start the procurement process for the construction tender of the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport.
ADB's budget will fund the runway extension project, the construction of the air traffic control tower, and other facilities' rehabilitation. In addition, Australia's budget will fund the construction of the access roads to the passenger terminal, the firefighting package, the quarantine building for animals and plants, the building for primary health care, the fuel depot, electricity and street lighting, water supply, car and motorcycle parking, including a drop-off zone at the passenger terminal of the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport. The Government of Timor-Leste has also allocated more than US$ 52 million to finance the land acquisition and related compensations.
This signing ceremony was accompanied by the Minister of Justice, Tiago Amaral Sarmento; the Minister of Public Works, Abel Pires da Silva; the Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva; the Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Julião da Silva; and the Vice Minister of Finance, António Freitas.
