Tunisia has an opportunity to transform its skills, experience, and international relationships into investments, projects, and jobs. The country's entrepreneurs, both locally and abroad, have proven themselves in international markets and gained the trust of their partners. They can open up new perspectives for the Tunisian economy, attract businesses and capital, and bring in know-how and technology. It's time for the state to address them with a clear strategy, invite them to invest in Tunisia, and provide a legal and administrative framework that encourages initiative and development.
President Kaïs Saïed has emphasized the importance of revising public market texts, fighting corruption and overruns, reducing project implementation deadlines, and ensuring work quality. He discussed several infrastructure and road projects, including the connection between Tunisia and Algeria and a bridge linking the island of Djerba to the mainland. These projects aim to alleviate travel difficulties and demonstrate the president's willingness to tackle the causes of project delays and transform the country's resources into concrete development.
Good infrastructure is crucial for attracting investors, connecting production areas to markets, and creating new job and development opportunities. The revision of public markets and simplification of procedures are not just administrative issues but part of a broader economic project that requires political will and firm decisions. Investors need clear laws, rapid procedures, and an administration that supports their projects while protecting their investments and respecting the law.
The experience of Badr Eddine Ouali, founder of Vermeg, illustrates what a Tunisian entrepreneur can achieve. When selling his company to an American investment group, he made it a condition to maintain investment in Tunisia and continue developing activities from there. The group accepted this condition, demonstrating that Tunisian entrepreneurs abroad can contribute to maintaining and developing economic activity in the country through their experience and reputation.
The Central Bank plays a vital role in facilitating the entry of funds for investment. Procedures must be clear, and dossiers must be studied within reasonable deadlines, with investors receiving rapid responses and concrete guarantees. Delays and complexity can lead investors to direct their capital to other countries, depriving Tunisia of investment that could support the economy and create jobs.
Improving the business climate also involves revising laws and procedures that hinder initiative, particularly those related to exchange, investment, and public markets. It's essential to remove obstacles, reduce bureaucracy, and ensure transparency and respect for the law. The goal is to create a stable environment that encourages investors to produce and develop.
The Tunisian people have shown patience and stood by the President of the Republic and the state since July 25, 2021. To build a better future, the country's will must translate into decisions, and efforts must focus on supporting the productive private sector, fighting the parallel sector, and attracting Tunisian skills abroad to contribute to the country's development.
Key points
- President Kaïs Saïed is pushing for infrastructure and investment reforms to boost Tunisia's economy.
- The Tunisian government aims to improve the business climate by revising laws and procedures that hinder initiative.
- Entrepreneurs, both locally and abroad, are seen as key partners in Tunisia's economic development.
