Salvador Pires, the Minister of Public Works, said offers would be taken and selected by the end of 2019 for implementation in 2020. The total estimated value of the tender is US$10 million, he said.

Pires also said MOP had applied for State funding for two local road projects. A US$16 million project to fund 96 construction projects in rural areas and a US$11 million maintenance road fund for all municipalities.

He said when the funds were approved by the Ministry of Finance MOP would “immediately” implement the projects.

Up to 26 per cent of the population in Timor-Leste still do not have access to clean water, according to recent Timor-Leste Population and Housing Census.