On the 10th of July the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, inaugurated the Noefefan bridge in Oe-cusse Ambeno. This event was attended by the Minister of State, Coordinator of State Administration Affairs and Justice and Minister of State Administration, Dionisio Babo Soares, representing the Prime Minister.
In his speech, the President of the Republic pointed out that Oe-cusse Ambeno has given us new ideas for development. He said that to bring the region out of isolation, we need to increase the mobility of the communities by investing in transportation, such as boats, planes and bridges.
The Noefefan bridge took a year and a half to be completed by the Ady Karya company. It has 380 meters in length and is 6 meters wide. The total construction cost was US$17 million. This bridge connects the communities of the villages of Bene-Ufe, Usi-Taco, Suni-Ufe, Taiboco, and part of the Lifau village.
The social market economy was the policy chosen by the Oe-cusse region authorities to achieve a global, inclusive and innovative, creative and sustainable development. The plan and all development processes take these factors into account. The Government has continued to support the project with the expectation that all families will benefit from development activities with improved facilities, and essential infrastructure that will assist economic activity that can raise the income of the region.
President Lú Olo stressed that the Special Economic Zone for Social Market Economy (in Oe-cusse Ambeno) will be a reference to the people and join the other developments that are being created in Timor-Leste.
The President of the Special Economic Zone for Social Market Economy (ZEESM), Mari Bin Alkatiri, recalled that the bridge now inaugurated began in April 2015, five months later than planned, and is expected to last 100 years. He explained that the bridge will facilitate the movement of communities and, thus, promote domestic production and attract foreign investment.
The local communities expressed their satisfaction with the construction as it will facilitate movement, and thanked the Government.
Also attending the inauguration were the Vice Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, the 1st Vice Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications, Januário da Costa Pereira, the 2nd Vice Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications, Inácio Moreira, the Chief of General Staff of the F-FDTL, Major General Lere Anan Timur, the Nunbey Padyai Parish Priest, Father Abilio Ricardo, parliamentarians and members of all the communities of Oe-cusse Ambeno.