Day: April 3, 2024

Tunis: The National Committee for Granting benefits under the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (APIA) approved on Tuesday the funding of 5 investment projects worth a total of TND 7 million.

These projects will be carried out in four governorates, namely Mahdia, Sfax, Kasserine and Kef, reads a APIA press release.

As for land loans, the committee approved 11 loans worth TND 1.6 in the Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine, Gafsa and Kef governorates.

The value of approved agricultural investments fell by 25.1% to TND 480.1 million in 2023 compared with 2022, data published last February by the APIA show.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunsi: Tunindex closed March at 8,921.28 points, posting a 3.37% gain, reads the monthly Tunis Stock Exchange analysis.

The cumulative gains reached 1.95% since the start of the year against 0.24% during the same period in 2023.

The trading volume of the Stock Exchange rose 79% on the previous month to TND 100 million.

The daily trading volume stood at TND5 million against TND 2.6 million in February and TND 5.1 million early this year.

Prices of securities showed a downward trend for 39 securities, while 32 were up.

Tunindex20 up 4.21% in March

Tunindex20, which represents the performance of over 20 traded securities, followed suit with a 4.21% rise, after posting a 3.50% gain last month, closing at 3,969.6 points.

Tunindex20 edged up 1.95% since the start of 2024, compared to a 0.32% fall during the same period in 2023.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The stock market on Wednesday suffered a second consecutive bearish session, closing slightly down by 0.19% at 8904.87 points in a low volume of TND 1.9 million, according to the stock market broker Tunisie Valeurs.

STIP shares stood out during the session in virtually no trading, posting a 4.5% gain to TND 3.970.

CIL shares rose by 4.4% to TND 22.440, drawing TND 39,000 in trading.

STB shares were the biggest losers, with trading totalling a modest TND 9,000, down 5.7% to TND 3.160.

The MONOPRIX shares gave up 3.4% to TND 4.500, with a low volume of TND 36,000 over the session.

AMEN BANK shares fell slightly by 0.19% to TND 37.730, feeding the market with a capital of TND 338,000.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The Tunisian Water Observatory (OTE) recorded around 149 alerts from citizens in March 2024 relating to problems of access to water.

These alerts concerned the quality of the water distributed by the National Water Distribution Utility (SONEDE), interruptions in the distribution of drinking water not declared by SONEDE, water leaks in the national network and protests demanding the right to water.

In March 2024, the Observatory reported that its website www.watchwater.tn had received 9 alerts on the quality of water distributed, 101 alerts on water cuts, 25 alerts on protests demanding the right to water and 14 alerts on water leaks.

The governorate of Gafsa leads the list of governorates affected by these alerts with 26, followed by Sidi Bouzid (11 alerts).

The governorates of Gabes, Sfax and Kairouan were also severely affected by problems with access to water, according to the same source.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Members of the Tunisian Textile and Clothing Federation (FTTH) on Wednesday called for the continued implementation of the main guidelines of the public-private partnership agreement (2022/2026) in order to boost the sector.

In a meeting with the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, Fatma Thabet Chiboub, the sector’s professionals stressed the importance of encouraging companies to join the energy transformation and photovoltaic self-production programme and to invest in regional development zones.

The ministry said a pilot project is underway at a company in Jebel Oust to recover and recycle used clothing as an alternative energy source.

The textile and clothing sector accounts for 29% of employment in the industrial sector and provides 153,000 jobs.

The sector includes almost 200 integrated companies with an international presence. Exports from these companies account for 75% of all exports from the industrial sector, according to the ministry.

The trade balance of the textile and clothing se
ctor will have improved by 12.5 points compared to 2022, rising from 116.5% to 129.1% in 2023, according to CETTEX. Exports from the textile and clothing sector went up 5.61% compared to 2022, reaching 9,659.31 million dinars.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: A business mission to Canada will be organised by the Sfax Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Tunis from May 14 to 18, on the occasion of the Canadian food innovation trade show “SIAL Canada”, scheduled for May 15 to 17 in Montreal.

The aim of the mission is to explore the export and partnership opportunities offered by the Canadian market with a view to establishing lasting business relations with this country.

The mission programme will include B2B at stands, visits to Canadian facilities and a training seminar on the Canadian market for companies operating in the agri-food sector.

SIAL Canada offers a complete range of food products and is a gateway to the American and international markets.

The show brings together more than 1,000 national and international exhibitors from 44 countries and welcomes more than 21,000 trade visitors from Canada, the United States and 77 other countries.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: A bill to amend the investment law (No. 71 for 2016) has been submitted to the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP) by 17 MPs, head of the ARP’s tourism committee, Yassine Mami, told TAP on Wednesday.

This bill has been referred to the Strategic Planning, Transport, Infrastructure and Urban Development Committee for review.

The MP pointed out that the draft law had been prepared in a participatory manner, based on the opinions of experts, specialists and investors. It aims to address the shortcomings of the current investment law in order to stimulate domestic and international investment and promote economic recovery.

“The draft law provides for the simplification and digitalisation of administrative procedures in order to reduce the bureaucracy of the Tunisian administration and shorten the waiting time for investors to launch their projects.

According to the bill document, “public services are obliged to respond to any request for administrative services within a period not exceeding three
months, and in the absence of a response, silence is considered as implicit acceptance of the request”.

The bill also provides for a review of the incentives and privileges granted to young entrepreneurs and SMEs in order to encourage entrepreneurship and prevent the emigration of young Tunisian talents.

This legislative initiative also aims to enshrine the principle of absolute freedom of investment in Tunisia by expanding the areas of direct investment and limiting the number of activities subject to authorisation.

Mami recalled that the growth rate in Tunisia was limited to 0.4% in 2023, according to an initial estimate by the National Institute of Statistics, and reiterated that investment is one of the essential engines for boosting growth.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The weather will be generally slightly cloudy on Wednesday night, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.

Winds will blow from the north in the north, from the east in the centre and south, relatively strong and strong in the south with local sandstorms, and weak to moderate in the rest of the regions.

Night-time temperatures will be between 11 and 15 degrees in the north and highlands, and between 16 and 21 degrees in the rest of the country.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse