Category: Business

Tunis: Tunisia is currently partaking in the 4th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment (INC-4), held on April 25-29 in Ottawa, Canada at the initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Tunisian delegation, represented by the Environment Ministry, presented the “Declaration of Tunisia” on the first draft of International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment.

In this declaration, Tunisia pointed to the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach that takes into account the entire life cycle of plastics (from the production of polymers and listed products to the management of plastic products and waste).

Plastic pollution is a major threat to all environmental systems, human health, social and economic stability and climate change, given the carbon footprint it creates throughout the plastic life cycle.

“Ar
ab countries’ representation in the Ottawa negotiations on plastic pollution is poor, despite the high levels of plastic pollution notably maritime and coastal in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which poses a major threat to the blue economy in the region. There is also no Arab group representing these states,” Tunisian researcher and International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) activist Samia Gharbi told TAP.

Although the negotiations are attended and followed by delegations from Arab countries (Egypt and Saudi Arabia), there is no Arab group that negotiates in a unified manner or discusses the provisions of the negotiations, unlike the African, Asian, EU and other groups, she indicated.

The absence of an Arab group in the negotiations is remarkable, she added, especially as the region, whose blue economy is a key driver of economic growth, would benefit from reducing its plastic and carbon footprint, which is the highest in the world.

The MENA region has the highest per capita plas
tic footprint and an average MENA resident releases more than 6kg of plastic waste into the ocean every year. Today, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s plastic pollution hotspots, data published by the World Bank (WB) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) show.

Plastic pollution continues to cost countries in the MENA region about 0.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) each year despite efforts to raise awareness about the importance of improving plastic waste management methods and combating plastic pollution.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Scattered and locally stormy showers are expected on Tuesday in western regions and in the far south, gradually reaching eastern regions, getting sometimes heavy in the afternoon in the north-west and locally in the midland with hail storms expected in some areas.

The wind will blow strong with a slight drop in temperatures.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Minister of Economy and Planning, Feriel Ouerghi Sabai, and CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), Hani Salem Sonbol, signed in Riyadh, (KSA) a new framework cooperation agreement for the next three years, worth 1.2 billion dollars (or approximately 3.78 billion dinars), on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the Group of Islamic Bank for Development held from April 27 to 30, in the Saudi capital.

According to a press release published Monday by the Department of the Economy, this agreement is intended to fund imports of public companies in raw materials such as crude oil and petroleum products.

The minister expressed Tunisia’s willingness to boost cooperation with the ITFC, in the fields of food security, energy and the environment.

The two parties also discussed the importance of the ITFC «Arab-African Trade Bridges» Programme, which focuses on fostering cooperation and trade between Arab and African countries.

They also had discussions on the preparations ahead fo
r the 4th meeting of the Board of Governors to be held in Tunisia next July.

Ouerghi had meetings with senior officials, including CEO of the Saudi Export-Import Bank, Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalab on ways to promote bilateral cooperation between Tunisia and the bank by increasing trade between public bodies or private companies of the two countries.

She also had a meeting with the Director General of the OPEC Fund for International Development, Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. It focused on the repercussions of geopolitical fluctuations and the repercussions of climate change on the economic, social and environmental conditions of developing countries, including Tunisia.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Spatial Planning will before May 2 start implementing an incentive programme for road maintenance, the ministry said, adding that 193 property development companies have renewed their participation in the programme.

These figures were presented on Saturday at the 1st meeting of regional directors of public works, housing and spatial planning for 2024, chaired by Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri.

The ministry said it had issued a call for tenders to appoint a consultancy firm to revise the texts of the permits and measures relating to the administrative specifications for technical inspectors.

The ministry said that in May 2024 it would launch projects to maintain the damaged parts of the 209 km of numbered roads.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Monastir: Tunisia is experiencing a revival in cruise tourism, with some 80 cruises scheduled for this year, mainly to the ports of La Goulette, Sousse and Zarzis, representing some 220,000 arrivals, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Mohamed Moez Belhassine told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to inspect work at a hotel in the tourist area of Monastir.

Belhassine stressed that his ministry is seeking to develop cruise tourism.

He added that during the current year, the ministry aims to confirm the good results achieved last year, when the number of arrivals reached about 4.9 million tourists and tourism revenues approached 7 billion dinars.

The focus will be on the quality of tourism services, infrastructure, reception, tourist transport, tourist environment, tourist accommodation and archaeological and historical sites, he said, stressing that achieving quality is everyone’s responsibility, including the citizen’s responsibility in the field of cleanliness and care for the environment.

The Minist
er then visited the Monastir Marina, where he listened to a presentation on the expansion project of the Monastir Marina, which currently has 300 moorings and 57 hotel apartments with a capacity of 210 beds, and is expected to reach 400 or 450 moorings with the expansion project.

This project, which has received preliminary approval from the Coastal Protection and Development Agency, is currently in the process of completing the legal procedures.

He also listened to a presentation on the preparation and repair of the main entrance to the marina at an estimated cost of 600,000 dinars, as well as the obstacles preventing the desired development of Monastir Marina.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The use of debt to finance growth factors and create growth is the only way to secure public debt sustainability, the Tunisian Institute of competitiveness and quantitatives studies (French: ITCEQ) said.

“This would help steer a way out of this vicious circle,” further reads a recent report entitled “Sustainability of the Public Debt in Tunisia: Dynalmics and Challenges.”

The snowball effect will also be mitigated and the country will move away from the scenario of economic restructuring with all its negative impact on the economy, said the ITCEQ.

The institute urged the need to diversify sources to finance the State budget which means better productive capacities and a reform of the taxation system. This would also help contain the budget deficit.

Increased rationality and efficiency need to be at the core of reform. Strengthening the investment dynamic through a better business climate to reboot private investment and continuous action to protect enterprises and households at this is juncture are
also highly recommended to consolidate the public finance position and secure the sustainability in the long run of public debt.

There is also need to combat informality, undertake structural changes in the economy by targeting high-value-added and knowledge- intensive sectors and promote digital and ecological transition.

The public debt outstanding amounted to TND 127.2 billion (80.2% of the GDP) in 2023 against TND 25.640 billion (39% of the GDP) in 2010, ITCEQ said referring to figures provided by the Finance Ministry.

The debt per capita edged up from TND 2,430 in 2010 to TND 10,300 in 2023, that is + 330%.

The structure of public debt is dominated by external debt with an average rate of 64% between 2011 and 2023. External debt accounts for 64% of the government deby outstanding in 2023 against 61% in 2010.

Since 2021, recourse to domestic debt has grown as a result of bigger financing needs of the State budget and tighter conditions of external funding.

Lending in foreign currency is the main fea
ture of domestic debt. Yet, external debt is more than ever dominated by budget support mobilised in the multilateral framework.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: B2B meetings involving business operators from Tunisia and the Czech Republic will be organised Monday at the headquarters of the Tunis Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIT).

The CCIT is organsing the event, in collaboration with the Tunisian embassy in Prague and in partnership with the region of Brno, the Czeh Republic.

The delegation of Czech business operators represents the sectors of aerospace industries, water treatment, the automotive industry, entrepreneurship and startups and scientific and technical equipment.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) North Africa office launched a call for consultancy to conduct a comprehensive fauna assessment in GSraa Sejnane.

GSraa Sejnane is a key biodiversity zone in Mogods, a mountain range in northeast Tunisia.

The inventory is intended to help develop an initial action plan to safeguard Eurasian otter populations in Tunisia, said the WWF.

One applicant civil society organisation will be selected. It will be tasked with conducting detailed field surveys in GSraa Sejnane so as to compile a comprehensive fauna inventory while focusing on the Eurasian otter.

Likewise, the selected organisation needs to draw up a scientific report on the current state of biodiversity in GSraa Sejnane, put in place an action plan on the conservation of the Eurasian otter and organise a workshop on the scientific monitoring of biodiversity for local actors.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The weather on Sunday night will be partly cloudy in most areas, with localised fog on the eastern coasts late at night.

According to the National Institute of Meteorology, winds will blow from the east, relatively strong to moderate near the coasts and in the south, and light to moderate in the rest of the regions.

Temperatures will generally range from 14 to 18 degrees Celsius overnight, reaching 21 degrees in the south, while Monday morning temperatures are expected to range from 18 to 32 degrees Celsius.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The weather on Saturday is locally misty in eastern regions in the morning, then a bit cloudy nationwide.

The wind is blowing east relatively strong to strong near coasts and in the south, with local sand storms, and light to moderate elsewhere.

The sea is choppy to very choppy.

Temperatures are slightly down with highs ranging between 19 and 22°C in eastern coasts and on heights, between 23 and 30°C elsewhere, hovering over 33°C in the far south.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse