Year: 2018

IMF Executive Board Completes Third Review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement for Tunisia

BGMN

The government’s reform program aims at strengthening the recovery by reducing macroeconomic imbalances, ensuring adequate social protection, and encouraging private sector-led job creation. Growth-friendly and socially conscious reforms will help reduce fiscal and current account deficits, reverse debt accumulation, and raise investment and social spending. Monetary policy should continue to focus on curbing inflation. On July 6, 2018 the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the third review of Tunisia’s economic program supported by an arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The completion of the review…

Trade deficit worsened to 8.16 billion dinars (INS)

BGMN

Tunisia’s trade deficit at current prices worsened during the 1st quarter of 2018 to 8.16 billion dinars (BD), announced Monday, the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The trade balance shows a deficit of 8,164.9 million dinars (MD), following the deficit recorded with certain countries, namely China (-2,569.8 MD), Italy (-1,329.2 MD), Turkey (-1,031.0 MD), Russia (-621.6 MD) and Algeria (-608.1 MD). On the other hand, the balance is in surplus with other countries mainly, France 1,729.5 MD, Libya 448.6 MD and Morocco of 209.8 MD. Excluding energy, the deficit in…

Libyan Airlines resumes flights to Tunisia

BGMN

Libyan Airlines has resumed flights to Tunisia after days of suspension. The head of the Information Office of the Libyan Airlines, Mohamed Gnewa, clarified that the company resumed its flights Sunday to Tunisia after a two-day of suspension. Gnewa added that the flights will return to normal schedule after being limited for the last two days on returning the stranded citizens in Tunisian airports. TunisianMonitorOnline (The Libya Observer)

We must stand together against terrorism

BGMN

Terrorism has once again struck the innocent. It was a brutal act of violence by targeting our valiant heroes, members of the security institution, in a cowardly act that reflects the state of desperation in which these extremist groups find themselves. Six National Guards have fallen as martyrs in an ambush against a Border Guard patrol in Ain Soltane that took place on Sunday around 11:45 a.m., according to an official report from the Interior Ministry. A mine exploded during the passage of the patrol. We, All Tunisian citizens,  extend…

Why Migration Processing Centers won’t Solve EU’s Migration Problem

BGMN

The EU has been thinking of outsourcing the management of migration and asylum to North African countries where most migrants are taking the perilous sea route to Europe. The idea of setting up migrant processing centres is winning support in the EU but has been met with utter rejection by Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. “Morocco rejects and has always rejected these kinds of methods for managing the issue of migration flows,” Nasser Bourita said last week. The same stand has been expressed in Algeria where authorities continue forced repatriations of…

IMF approves $249m loan tranche to Tunisia amid economic reforms

BGMN

The latest tranche brings the total disbursement of the four-year loan to $1.14 billion The International Monetary Fund has approved the release of a $249 million loan tranche to Tunisia, as part of an economic reform programme, in a capital injection to the struggling economy. The fourth tranche from Tunisia’s four-year programme brings the country’s disbursements to $1.14 billion from a total of about $2.9bn, according to a statement by the IMF on Saturday. “Monetary policy must continue to focus on controlling inflation,” the fund said. Tunisia has struggled to revive its…

 More Chinese tourists flock to Tunisia’s Coastal resorts

BGMN

In the archaeological museum in Sousse city in east Tunisia, a colourful one-square-meter mosaic of Chinese Taijitu has attracted many visitors. The Taijitu, evenly divided into two halves by a central curve, represents the Chinese philosophy of “Yin and Yang”. The pattern description reads “mosaic with the classical yin-yang pattern in a square. Yin and Yang are the two regulating elements of universal dynamism.” “It is easy for Chinese to recognize it. This is a typical Taijitu, representing … the fusion of Yin and Yang into a single ultimate,” said…

At least six national guard officers killed in attack near Tunisia-Algeria border

BGMN

Six members of the national guard killed by ‘terrorists’ close to the Algerian border, the interior ministry says. The Interior Ministry indicates, in a statement made public, that a patrol of the Border Guard, in Ain Soltane (Jendouba governorate), was ambushed on Sunday around 11:45 a.m., on the border strip with Algeria. A mine exploded during the passage of the patrol causing 6 deaths among the National Guard officers. The search operation continues to track the terrorists. In this regard, security sources in the Jendouba region told TAP that nine national…

Libyan and Tunisian Foreign Ministers agree to activate pre 2011 agreements

BGMN

The Libyan Foreign Minister, Mohamed Siyala and Tunisian Foreign Minister, Khemais Jhinaoui agreed to resume work on the agreements reached between the two countries before 2011. Jhinaoui stated at a news conference with Siyala in Tunis after the Libyan-Tunisian joint committee meeting that he agreed with his Libyan counterpart that the Libyan state will pay accumulated debts to Tunisian clinics before the end of 2018. Concerning the file of journalists Soufiane Chourabi and Nazir Ktari kidnapped in Libya, Jhinaoui said they will send a committee from the Tunisian competent sectors…

Tunisia hosts high-level informal dialogue on Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration

BGMN

Tunisia hosted a high-level informal dialogue on the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, which brought together representatives of 18 countries, according to a statement issued Friday by The International Organization for Migration (IOM). Following various regional consultations and a national consultation held in Tunis last May, the Tunis informal dialogue organised in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration, brought together 45 representatives of governments, international organisations and civil society… On this occasion, Secretary of State for Immigration and Tunisians Expatriates Adel Jarboui emphasised the imperative to strengthen the…