Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, Portugal, July 25, 2025 (Lusa) - The minority partner of AtlanticEagle Shipbuilding (AES) in Figueira da Foz in the Coimbra region of Portugal, hopes that Friday's visit by Timorese MPs will resolve the uncertainty surrounding Timor-Leste's investments in shipyards.
“I hope that the visit will be a vehicle for unblocking this situation,” said businessman Bruno Costa.
The manager of AES was speaking to journalists during a visit by a Timorese parliamentary delegation to the shipyards, in which the State of Timor-Leste is the main shareholder with 95% of the capital, while Bruno Costa holds the remaining 5%.
As part of an official visit to Portugal by Commission C - Public Finance of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, a parliamentary delegation from the former Portuguese colony met today with local shipyard officials in the region of Coimbra.
“It is important that my partner benefits from the company’s good performance,” said Bruno Costa at the end of a meeting with the Timorese delegation, which included MPs from various parties with seats in the Dili parliament.
The MPs from Committee C did not make any statements to journalists.
The visit was intended to monitor the progress of the construction of the ship ‘Haksolok’, which has been dragging on for years, and of the Timorese investment in the shipyards, in which Timor-Leste is the majority shareholder through a private company with 100% public capital.
With a capacity to carry 377 passengers, 26 light vehicles and up to 5,500 kilos of cargo, the ‘Haksolok’ was commissioned to provide a maritime link between the Timorese enclave of Oecusse, in the west of the country, the island of Ataúro and the capital of Timor-Leste, Dili.
The ferry boat is 73 metres long and 12 metres wide.
The majority shareholder of AES, with 95% of the capital, is precisely the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse Ambeno (RAEOA).
“We all hope that RAEOA will fulfil what was planned,” emphasised Bruno Costa, explaining that the Timorese state, through this regional entity, has already transferred around €12 million to AES, with €8 million still to be received, which has delayed the construction process of the “Haksolok” and affected the normal functioning of the Figueira da Foz company.
The Portuguese Leonel Inácio, international advisor to Commission C - Public Finance of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, acknowledged to journalists the importance of the visit by MPs to resolve the problem of RAEOA's investment in AES, as well as to unblock the construction of the ferry.
“The construction process of this ship has suffered several setbacks,” said Leonel Inácio.
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