EU launches new programme to support Tunisian start-ups worth 75 MD

European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn announced, Wednesday in Tunis, the launch of a new European programme to support Tunisian Start-ups, with a value of €25 million (about 75 million dinars- MD).

This programme will mobilise funding for the launch of 1,000 new innovative businesses, besides financial support for the various co-working spaces and incubators set up in different regions of the country.

“This programme is fully in line with the new Tunisian “Startup Act «which aims to boost entrepreneurship and promote innovative projects. This will make Tunisia a business hub for all of Africa, “said Hahn.

It should be noted that the “Startup Act”, a bill tabled on March 9, 2018 at the Industry, Energy, Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Environment Committee of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), will be discussed in plenary at the end of the current month.

The top European official also reiterated the European Union’s (EU) willingness to support Tunisia, through the establishment of programmes promoting job creation, particularly for young graduates, and the diversification of the country’s economy, targeting innovative and value-added sectors and activities.

In this context, he pointed out that this programme of support to start-ups will help deal with the phenomenon of brain drain, insofar as it will offer any bearer of project idea an opportunity to realize his dream and create his own project in his country.

On Tunisia’s “blacklisting” as tax haven, the official said the EU is closely monitoring this issue, and will do its best to support Tunisia to get out of this list.

Hahn recalled that the EU is Tunisia’s first partner, stating that all European countries have granted the country credits and donations valued at about €9.7 billion (about 29 billion dinars).

“Since 2012, some 60,000 young people have benefited from micro-credits granted by the EU for the launch or development of their projects, while other young entrepreneurs have received coaching and mentoring services. “, added the European Commissioner.

TunisianMonitorOnline (Source:TAP)

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