The Tunisian government has allocated 1.108 billion dinars ($1.1 billion) to the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training for 2027, representing a 3.79% increase from 2026. This was announced by Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Riadh Chaoued, during a joint session of the Assembly of People's Representatives. The increase is primarily attributed to a rise in the budget for vocational training programs.
The 2027 budget for the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training is comprised mainly of state resources, totaling 1.104 billion dinars, which accounts for 99.63% of the overall resources. The ministry's budget is primarily allocated towards intervention expenses, followed by remuneration expenses. The minister noted that the allocation for vocational training programs has increased from 499 million dinars in 2026 to 552.85 million dinars in 2027.
The 2027 budget for the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training is divided into several key areas, including vocational training (50%), employment (35%), private initiative development (13%), and pilotage and support (2%). The minister stated that the budget for the development of private initiatives has decreased to 141.5 million dinars in 2027, compared to 161.3 million dinars in 2026. This decrease is largely due to a decline in external credit resources.
The program for pilotage and support, which aims to improve the performance of the ministry's programs, has a budget of 25.24 million dinars for 2027, representing a slight increase from 2026. The budget for this program is primarily allocated towards remuneration (17.64 million dinars) and management (4.8 million dinars). The minister also noted that the ministry aims to create 500 community companies and finance 250 of them in 2027.
The Tunisian government is working to develop the system of community companies and enhance their role in job creation and collective initiative support. The ministry is focused on improving the conditions for the creation and accompaniment of these companies, as well as facilitating their access to financing and markets. An agreement has been signed with financial institutions to diversify funding sources and support these companies.
According to the minister, 97 community companies are currently active in Tunisia, with 79% being local companies and 21% being regional companies. The distribution of these companies varies by region, with the 4th district (Sidi Bouzid, Sfax, Gafsa, and Tozeur) having the highest number of companies, accounting for 27% of the total.
A project to develop the vocational training system is being implemented by the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training, financed by the Saudi Fund for Development, with a loan of 60 million Saudi riyals. The project aims to complete construction work, acquire training equipment, train trainers, and provide consulting services to several training centers. The project's updated cost is 53.8 million dinars, with 8.8 million dinars financed by the state budget and 45 million dinars by external loans.
Key points
- The Tunisian government has allocated $1.1 billion to employment and vocational training in 2027.
- The 2027 budget for vocational training programs has increased to 552.85 million dinars.
- The ministry aims to create 500 community companies and finance 250 of them in 2027.
