The Authority for the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse, a special economic area earmarked by the Government of East Timor to spearhead local infrastructure development in 2015, will be sworn in this week.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, reports news agency Lusa, adding that the construction of several major projects for the new area will begin on the same day. The zone is located in the northwest part of the country.

East Timor’s Official Gazette published this month bylaw 1/2015, endorsing the creation of a “Special Development Fund” that will be used to “finance the implementation of projects and development plans in the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse and in the Special Zone of Social Market Economy of Oecusse and Atauro”.

The bylaw defines these plans as “strategic projects of social and economic nature”, including road infrastructure, ports and airports, hospitals and other social infrastructure, as well as the construction of water, energy and telecommunications networks.

East Timor’s budget for 2015 allocates US$81.9 million to the administrative body to invest in basic infrastructure development.

“The region should make use of its special economic zone status to attract quality foreign investment and long-term business initiatives,” the Government said.