Prime Minister visits port of Tibar Bay and inaugurates ecotourism trail « Government of Tim-Leste

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao visited the Port of Timor Bay on July 4, 2024, to express his appreciation for the work done by the port management and employees. Accompanied by the Executive Director of the Timor Port, Rafael Ribeiro, the Prime Minister had the opportunity to see up close the facilities and systems that inspect and support the entry and exit of goods.

During the visit, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the Tibar Bay Port for the country’s economic development and praised the dedication of the employees who keep the port operational 24 hours a day.

Located 10 km west of Dili, the Tibar Bay Port is a priority infrastructure in the National Strategic Development Plan (PEDN) 2011-2030. The port, which was opened in 2022, replaced the Dili Port and facilitated the import and export of goods, with an annual loading capacity of 1 million containers.

On the same day, the Prime Minister inaugurated an eco-tourism trail built by Timor Port Company in the Tibar village of Tullet Tibar mangrove area, Liquisaba Zartet Administrative Post.

During the ceremony, Xanana Gusmão stressed the importance of environmental protection and called on communities to protect mangroves, areas that, if properly preserved, can attract tourists and contribute to local development. He also stressed the government’s commitment to sustainable development and stressed that infrastructure development can coexist with environmental protection, saying it is a good example of how good coordination can be achieved between public and private, between the state and companies – for the sake of the country’s sustainable development.

Timor Port Executive Director Rafael Ribeiro praised the Prime Minister’s vision and commitment to the Tibar Port project, stressing the importance of replanting and environmental protection as part of the public-private partnership concession contract.

Liquiçá Municipality President Paulino Ribeiro thanked Timor Porto for protecting the mangroves and stressed the importance of preserving this ecosystem to attract tourists and generate revenue for the economy.

The ecotourism trail in Tibar is now open to the public daily from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, with an entrance fee of $1 per visitor.