The first edition of “National Days “Consuming Made in Tunisia #619” days started on Wednesday at the Kram Exhibition Centre, with the participation of nearly 150 exhibitors representing different sectors of local industry.
“These days aim to highlight the quality of Tunisian products and their competitiveness and to raise citizens’ awareness of the importance of consuming local products, said Minister of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, Slim Feriani, at the opening of these days, which take place from June 26 to 28.
“Only 30% of Tunisians prefer to consume “made in Tunisia”, and only 10% know the bar code of Tunisian products (619). Hence the need to restore the confidence of Tunisian consumers in local products,” he stressed.
“The consumption of local products will allow the Tunisian economy to take a leap forward, improve its growth rate and attract investment,” he added, calling for the example of South Korea, which in the 1970s encouraged its citizens to consume local products, which has fostered the country’s current economic development.
According to the minister, the Tunisian industrial sector is currently able to provide a value-added product, stating that industrial exports reached 37 billion dinars in 2018, an increase of 19% compared to 2017, which also represents 90% of total exports whose total value amounts to 41 billion dinars in 2018.
For his part, the President of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) Samir Majoul called for these national days to be an annual event and to be extended nationwide.
He also stressed the need to ensure a climate of fair competition, in particular by combating parallel trade, smuggling and counterfeiting and reducing uncontrolled imports, calling on business leaders to further improve the quality of their products, control costs and comply with corporate social and environmental responsibility standards.
Earlier, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, who presided over the opening of these days, awarded prizes of distinction to 15 avant-garde companies representing the agri-food, car manufacturing, ready-to-wear and ceramics sectors.
Prizes were also awarded to the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) and the Ministry of National Defence as public purchasers.
TunisianMonitorOnline
