The Interministerial Commission for the Negotiation of Financial Support for the Requalification of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (AIPNL) and the Interministerial Working Group for the AIPNL Development Project met today February 17, 2020, at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the financial advisory services agreement for the Dili airport requalification project with the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The Interministerial Commission, established on 24 May 2019, is chaired by the Minister of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and includes the Interim Minister of Finance, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Minister of Public Works and the Minister of Transport and Communications. The Interministerial Commission and the Working Party have been working on the analysis of the technical, social, environmental, financial and legal requirements of the options for the extension of the runway and for the requalification of the airport terminal.

The agreement to be concluded between the IFC and the Ministries of Finance, Transport and Communications and of Strategic Investment, provides for IFC’s support in assessing the ideal combination of public procurement and private participation of one or more components of the development project, expansion, rehabilitation and operational improvements of Dili airport.

IFC, which is part of the World Bank Group, is a financial institution of which Timor-Leste is a member and has extensive experience in the development of airport projects and in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

The meeting of the interministerial committee also analyzed the current status of the Action Plan for the implementation of the Master Plan for the requalification of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport and the results of the coordination meeting with the partner entities of the project.