(TAP) – “Tunisia could become a strong pulling force for investment and trade in Africa ,” Deputy-Director for Country Relations at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Ini Urua said on the fringes of the 04th edition of the international conference on “Financing Investment and Trade in Africa (FITA)” held from June 24 to 26 in Tunis.

Urua put emphasis on Tunisia’s strategic geographical location in fostering trade and investment between European and African countries, pointing out that Tunisia “is strategically placed and enjoys strong ties with its neighbours.”

He commended Tunisia’s infrastructure, namely its power system, saying that “compared to other African nations, Tunisia’s infrastructure is very good,” yet it should make use of “its sunshine” to “harness its solar system and increase its power output.”

The official called for promoting further investment in renewable energy, particularly in the solar power, as it will help “Tunisia reduce the money it spends on the power field.”

Urua stressed the importance of digital transformation in the 21st century, pointing out that “Tunisia is already benefitting from it and making the most of it in the banking and trade sectors.”

Speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions on world economies, the Deputy-Director underscored that “every country in Africa is suffering and Tunisia is no exception.”

This 4th edition made it possible to share ideas and views on several issues that pose a challenge to the African continent, Urua underscored

The event also provided the opportunity to hold business to business meetings between economic operators, Pan-African economic development stakeholders, bankers, as well as investment funds and financial experts. 3,000 networking meetings are expected in the conference.

During the event, a number of Tunisian banks have sought to boost cooperation with their Pan-African counterparts, more particularly in accessing financial services in Africa.

The three-day conference, which is held by the Tunisia-Africa Business Council (TABC) in partnership with other world and Pan-African institutions including the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) programme and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), is attended by 500 economic operators.

Source: TAP News Agency