Day: March 29, 2017

European Union aid for Tunisia was overambitious and too lax, according to the European Court of Auditors.  Auditors examined €1.3bn in financial assistance provided to Tunisia in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring until 2015, a time in Tunisia characterised by political and economic instability, social unrest and terror attacks and an overall bumpy transition to democracy.“Security has become an important challenge for the country,” noted Karel Pinxten, the member of the ECA responsible for the report. “Against such a background, the effective management of EU financial support is…

Tunisia’s former Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa launched a new political party on Wednesday which he said would be non-ideological and could “restore hope for Tunisians” frustrated by the country’s transition. Jomaa led a technocratic government in 2014, a year that ended with free elections and a new constitution seen as key steps following the 2011 overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. For the past two years, Tunisia has been governed by a coalition led by the secularist Nidaa Tounes party and the moderate Islamist party Ennahda. National politics can…

TUNIS: A Tunisian allegedly caught red-handed taking a bribe was among three regional officials sacked Monday by Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, who has vowed to fight graft. A government statement announced the sackings but did not say why the three were relieved of their duties. A spokesman for a provincial prosecutor said one of the officials had been arrested during a police sting allegedly pocketing money from a businessman who had complained to authorities that he had been asked to pay bribes. According to spokesman Mohamed Ali Barhoumi, the businessman…

Tunisia is drafting a bill on economic emergency that will enable the government to bypass bureaucratic hurdles and speed up large-scale projects to create jobs and boost growth. This move comes amid increasing pressure from IMF to reform the economy. Since its 2011 uprising,the country has been struggling with administrative and bureaucratic obstacles for local and foreign investors. Economic adviser, Ridha Saidi, says the Parliament will start debates on the new bill aimed at reducing obstacles in the economy. By the new law ,Tunisia is committed to providing a better investment…