THE NEW Lisbon airport project in Ota has cost 34 million euros since the project began in 1998, when Antonio Guterres’ government created the Novo Aeroporto (NAER) company responsible for the development.
The European Union has given 12 million euros to the project, with the rest coming from Portuguese tax payers.
So far, 70 per cent of the 14 million euro budget reserved for this year has been spent on financial commitments.
NAER must conclude by September all of the technical studies necessary to put the construction to tender to international companies.
These studies include a financial-economic analyses of the project, the environmental impact of the project and the Plano Director de Referência, a major plan that will govern the development.
A study of the Campo de Tiro, firing range, in Alcochete is also underway to access its potential as a site to build the airport.
ANA Aeroportos, the state owned company that controls all airports and air traffic in the country, was also due to be privatized.
This, however, may be postponed for another three months to allow the technical studies to be concluded.
It is estimated that by 2008 the Ota airport project will have cost around 38 million Euros, with 114 technical studies having been undertaken, of which many are variations of the same study.
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