A ministerial working session chaired by Prime Minister Najla Bouden in the Kasbah Monday continued the examination of the draft law on the revision of the foreign exchange law. The meeting was attended by Marouane Abassi, Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), and the Ministers of Finance and Economy, Sihem Namssia and Samir Saied, who called for speeding up the finalisation of this bill. The bill to revise the foreign exchange law is part of the national reform programme aimed at improving the business and investment climate and making this regulation more efficient, according to a press release from the Prime Ministry. It is also aimed at attracting foreign investment, boosting business confidence and increasing the competitiveness of companies by helping them penetrate international markets. Raoudha Boukadida, director of foreign exchange operations at the BCT, said last June the new foreign exchange code would gradually "liberalise the dinar". She added that this law would contribute to improving the business climate in the country and clarified that foreign participation in the capital of companies established in Tunisia and operating in sectors not regulated by law, such as ICT, would no longer require the approval of the issuing institution. In her view, this is a step forward that will encourage investment. However, she noted that access to foreign currency accounts for Tunisians would only be possible for individuals engaged in certain professional activities. Through these foreign currency accounts, they will be able to finance investments abroad, acquire real estate abroad and make other current or capital expenditures. For his part, BCT's Abassi stressed that the new foreign exchange law is designed to ensure that individuals and companies working in the services and new technologies sectors do not leave the country.
Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
