Year: 2018

Tunisia opposes Building Detention Centers for Refugees

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Tunisian Ambassador to the European Union Tahar Cherif asserted that there is no way his North African coastal nation will even consider the proposal of building refugge camps in its territory. ‘The proposal was put to the head of our government a few months ago during a visit to Germany; it was also asked by Italy, and the answer is clear: no!’ Cherif said. ‘We have neither the capacity nor the means to organize these detention centers. We are already suffering a lot from what is happening in Libya, which…

Kerkennah shipwreck: suspected smuggler confesses to organising illegal crossing after being arrested

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The chief suspect in Kerkennah migrant shipwreck, who was captured on Thursday, confessed to organising the crossing, the Tunisian Interior Ministry Saturday said in a statement. A boat carrying no less than 200 illegal migrants sank on June 2 off Kerkennah, governorate of Sfax, killing 87 people; 68 crossers were rescued. Survivors said there were at least 180 people on board when the fishing vessel began to sink near Tunisia’s Kekennah Islands off the southern coastal city of Sfax. The chief suspect was captured as he was hiding in the…

Countries wanting to tackle migration should follow Switzerland’s lead and boost local economies rather than punish individuals

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Switzerland wants to give Tunisians an incentive to stay home rather than leave for Europe, but instead of building walls it’s investing in promoting tourism to the region to create jobs. The European Union desperately wants to agree on a plan to curb the influx of migrants, possibly by creating vast holding camps in Africa. Donald Trump’s America wants to frighten off migrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador by locking them up and taking away their children. Neither will work but here’s a canny immigration control strategy that might. Next month, the tourism…

Tunisia to host 22nd edition of “FUTURALLIA” International Business Forum, November 14-16

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Tunisia will play host for the first time to the 22nd edition of the “FUTURALLIA” International Business Forum, November 14-16. FUTURALLIA TUNISIA 2018, organised by CONECT International in partnership with the association Futurallia (Global Network of Business Partnerships), is dedicated to business leaders in search of international development and is based on the principle of pre-scheduled appointments. This edition will honour women leaders, through the Woman Manager of the Year Trophy, to promote women’s economic leadership in Tunisia and also to highlight the crucial contribution of these women leaders in…

Mauritius, Ghana and Tunisia Lead African Telecoms, Study Says

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According to a recent release, BuddeComm has launched an exclusive Telecoms Maturity Index (TMI), designed to analyze the broadband, mobile and fixed Line markets of a country in addition to a range of economic parameters to rank it on a scale of 1 to 100 and compare it to its region. Now, the company’s Africa TMI is available and reveals the market leaders, the challengers and the developing ones.  The report says that Mauritius is the top-ranking country in Africa with a Telecoms Maturity Index score of 43, followed by…

Tunisian protesters block roads on Libyan trucks en route to Ras Ajdair border

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Several Tunisian protesters in Ben Guerdene blocked the main road on export trucks heading to Libya in protest of “mistreatment toward them by some Ras Jdir border crossing personnel.” The protesters, who come from Ben Guerdene which depends on trade via Ras jdir with Libya, gathered on Ras jdir main road and in Al-Zekra area in east Ben Guerdene trying to prevent the Libyan trucks from going on the road to Libya, demanding Ras Ajdair top personnel to present guarantees for them. “Protests started Wednesday evening and ended late at night,…

Tunisian Economy reshapes relations between Tunisia and Libya

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Experts believe that the economic rapprochement between Tunisia and Libya will pave the way to set a new strategic partnership in all fields The visit of Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemais Jhinaoui to Tripoli recently, the first since 2016, drew new features in the economic relations of the two neighbours who are trying to break the cycle of crisis that has affected the lives of citizens of both countries. Observers believe that Tunisia’s great efforts as a mediator to resolve the Libyan crisis are a strong impetus to strengthen the economic…

Lending to women could drive Tunisian growth

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Tunisia’s progressive women’s right laws in MENA have not translated into increased economic opportunities By ramping up their lending to female entrepreneurs, banks in Tunisia could dramatically increase their profits while also driving economic growth across the country, says a new report from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. The report, released today, found that women, who own about one-fifth of Tunisia’s businesses, represent a vast untapped market for lenders. Despite that fact, many women now struggle to get financing for their firms. In fact, smaller businesses owned…

Renewable energy – conference Res4Med in Tunis on June 27

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‘Renewables and infrastructure for clean energy transition of Tunisia: The Italian journey on renewable energies: Excellency and Best Practices’ is the title of a conference that will take place in Tunis on June 27, organized by the Italian embassy and Res4Med&Africa. The event will focus on Italian excellence and good practices in the energy sector, in particular in renewable energy, to highlight the international experience of Italian companies. ”The energy relations between Italy and Tunisia are excellent and longstanding”, said Italian ambassador in Tunis, Lorenzo Fanara. He noted that ”our…

‘Huge boost’ for Tunisia as UK further relaxes travel restrictions

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A further relaxing of UK travel restrictions to Tunisia has been hailed as “huge boost of confidence” in the north African country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week announced that more areas in Tunisia are now open to British tourists. The FCO no longer advises “against all but essential travel to the town of Jendouba, and some areas of southern Tunisia, including the towns of MĂ©denine, Tataouine and Douz”. Jedouba is a small city in the north west of Tunisia close to the ancient Roman city of Bullaregia. It…