Infrastructure projects to develop East Timor’s enclave of Oecusse are moving forward at a good pace said Mari Alkatiri, who chairs the Authority for the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse. He said 40 percent of the approximately US$130 million budgeted this year for the development of the economic area has been utilised.

Mr Alkatiri told Portuguese news agency Lusa that the goal was to deploy 70 percent of the development capital budgeted this year, with the remaining portion to be “executed easily”.

The region of Oecusse is a special economic area earmarked by the Government of East Timor to spearhead local infrastructure development and to attract foreign investment.

The official said that a special development fund” has been created to invest in public-private partnerships. The fund “will have to be capitalised,” Mr Alkatiri said, adding it already controls US$20 million.

In terms of specific projects, Mr Alkatiri said two major road infrastructures were well under way, along with airport works and construction of a port. Other projects include a hotel, the biggest bridge in East Timor, garden areas and a sports complex.