Negotiations between the Tunisian authorities and the delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the financial support programme have started on Monday and will last two weeks, said Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Saied.
He was talking to reporters on the margins of the signing ceremony, Monday in Tunis, of a loan agreement between the Ministry and the World Bank.
“Negotiations with the IMF are a new step that will allow the mobilisation of the support requested by Tunisia from the Fund to strengthen its capacity to address the problems of the Tunisian economy,” the Minister said.
“Negotiations with the IMF come after a series of discussions, during which Tunisia presented the national reform programme.”
Currently, we are addressing the details related to the implementation, as well as the points that raise questions from the IMF, he added.
For him, “obtaining support from the IMF will help regain the confidence of international donors. Tunisia needs to strengthen its capacity to cover the budget deficit and implement all the reform programmes necessary to restore financial balances in the medium term.
The Ministries of Finance, Economy, Trade, Industry, Agriculture and Social Affairs are participating in these negotiations, he mentioned.
The Minister of Economy said the national reform programme was developed by the government in a participatory manner. It is a comprehensive programme aimed at finding solutions to all the problems, including reforms that have not been implemented for two decades.
“It is time to implement these reforms in an organised and systematic way. The Tunisian economy needs to reform and restore financial balances in the medium term in order to reduce debt.”
“Tunisia is committed to repaying its debts, particularly domestic ones, and is in the process of paying its suppliers of construction companies,” Saied indicated, adding that the payment of other sectors will be done gradually.
After technical discussions of several months with the Tunisian authorities, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia department of the IMF Jihad Azour, on June 22, said that the Fund is ready to begin negotiations on the establishment of a programme in the coming weeks.
He welcomed the publication by the government of its reform plan, calling on the various stakeholders to make common cause to implement it.
“A nationally inspired reform programme, as championed by the government, is more credible and more likely to attract general support. It therefore has a greater chance of success than in the past,” he assured, adding that “adherence to the reforms is very important, whether or not they receive IMF support.”
“It is essential that the government describes in more detail each of the measures in its reform plan, and discusses them with all stakeholders, so that they participate in its implementation,” Azour recommended
Source: Tap News Agency