Tunisia's Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdel Hafiz, announced that the country's 2027 budget plan will increase allocations for the Regional Development Program to 543.55 million dinars. This represents a 71.05 million dinar increase from the previous year's budget. The move aims to allow for the inclusion of more new projects within the program. Abdel Hafiz made the announcement during a joint session of the Strategic Planning and Sustainable Development Committee, Transport and Infrastructure Committee, and Urban Planning Committee at the Assembly of People's Representatives.
The increase in allocations for the Regional Development Program is part of a broader review of the legislative framework governing regional councils. Abdel Hafiz explained that the investment expenditures for 2027 are set at 301.563 million dinars in commitments and 101.563 million dinars in payments. This is compared to 2.580 million dinars in commitments and 1.580 million dinars in payments for 2026. The significant increase is largely due to the reclassification of some intervention credits, which will be allocated to investment expenditures.
The reclassification of intervention credits involves allocating 300 million dinars in commitments and 100 million dinars in payments to finance the Regional Development Program. This move is expected to boost the program's impact and enable the implementation of more projects. Abdel Hafiz also noted that the payment allocations for improving living conditions will be reduced to 220.55 million dinars in 2027, down from 300 million dinars in 2026.
The reduction in payment allocations for improving living conditions is due to the consumption rate of these credits. Additionally, the allocations for grants to municipalities will decrease from 150 million dinars in 2026 to 100 million dinars in 2027. This decrease is in line with the process of regularizing the status of municipal agents by integrating them into the public sector.
Abdel Hafiz also reported a decline in Tunisia's contributions to international financial institutions for 2027. The country's contributions will amount to 56.225 million dinars, down from 68.820 million dinars in 2026. This represents a decrease of 12.595 million dinars or 18.3%. The decline is attributed to a reduction in the number of installments due for payment during 2027 and a decrease in the value of the installment due to the African Development Bank.
The evolution of these allocations reflects variations in the volume of financial commitments required for contributions to international financial institutions from one year to another. This variation is largely dependent on the scheduling of installments and the development of amounts due to these institutions. The 2027 budget plan aims to prioritize development projects and enhance the country's economic growth.
The Tunisian government's efforts to boost economic growth and development are ongoing. Recently, Abdel Hafiz met with the Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to discuss the cooperation program between Tunisia and the bank for the coming period. The meeting highlighted the importance of partnerships in supporting Tunisia's economic development.
Key points
- The 2027 budget plan allocates 543.55 million dinars to the Regional Development Program, a 71.05 million dinar increase from 2026.
- Investment expenditures for 2027 are set at 301.563 million dinars in commitments and 101.563 million dinars in payments.
- Tunisia's contributions to international financial institutions will decline to 56.225 million dinars in 2027, down from 68.820 million dinars in 2026.
