Open Source Machine Building Workshop at ENIT Tunisia

The Open Source Machine Building workshop, due to be held on June 21 – 27, 2019 at National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), is a unique opportunity for young students to develop their technological skills, meet start-up incubators and work in a diverse international team with members from universities from Germany and Tunisia, the European Commission website reports. The event is the first workshop held in Tunisia that brings together students, makers, researchers, incubators, enterprises and policy makers. It is also an opportunity for students to become Makers and get…

Tunisia to take part in China-Africa event on economy

Tunisia will take part in the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, to be held for the first time on June 27-29, in Hunan Province. Vice President of the Tunisian-Chinese Business Council (CATC) Dhouha Chtourou said that the selected Tunisian companies will exhibit their products over an area of 100 square meters. According to her “the Tunisian delegation, which will attend the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, includes representatives from the Export Promotion Centre of Tunisia (CEPEX), Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT), and representatives active in…

SITIC Africa 2019 opens in Tunis

The 4th International Exhibition of Information and Communication Technologies Africa 2019 (SITIC2019) opened, on Tuesday in Tunis, to strengthen triangular partnership in ICT between Tunisia, Western countries and Africa. The new edition, organised from June 18 to 20, 2019, at El Kram Exhibition Centre in Tunis aims to enhance the Tunisian site as an open portal on Africa, while placing emphasis on the capacities of Tunisian companies active in the digital field. It also aims to develop the North-South-South partnership, in order to boost investment and export and create job…

Tunisia telecom market revenues up 5.2 % in Q4

Tunisia’s telecom market revenues rose by 5.2 % year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2018 to reach TND 730 million, according to the latest figures from regulatory authority INT. The growth was supported by the ongoing strong performance in the fixed data (+25.3%) and mobile data (+14.6%) segments, based on revenues of TND 120.1 million and TND 172.7 million respectively. Mobile telephony still accounts for the largest share of revenues, at TND 338.6 million, and fell by 1.8 % year-on-year, Telecompaper reports. MVNO Lycamobile showed the strongest growth, more than doubling…

Stone Age tools and animal bones in Tunisia provide new clues on a 72,000-year-old ‘early human corridor’ across Africa

Researchers found bones and stone tools in land that once formed a giant lake The area was once wet and green and well suited to humans and animals The findings suggest that Homo sapiens populated this area at least 72,000 years ago, using the lakes as staging posts in their dispersal across Africa. Lying at the ‘crossroads’ for north-south movements between the Sahara and the Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the world’s key regions for under early human travels, the Daily Mail reports. Researchers have now discovered animal bones and…

Pilot project launched in Tunisia to reduce food imports

A pilot project, underway in Tunisia, is designed to reduce food imports. Drone technology is being used to collect and analyse data, and monitor irrigated areas, combat pests, Africanews reports. The Bank launched the project, in cooperation with the Busan Metropolitan City in Korea with support from the Korea-Africa Cooperation fund (KOAFEC). The session in Malabo included Korea’s ambassador to Equatorial Guinea H.E Kwak Ji Hwan, Korean technical experts, senior Bank officials, and private sector representatives. “We see Korea as a strategic partner with respect to technology transfer, especially ICT technologies, drone…

Tunisia ranks 1st in Africa toward achieving UN SDGs according to SDG Index report

Tunisia ranks first in Africa towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN), according to the 2019 Africa SDG Index and Dashboards Report launched Friday. Tunisia is leading the ranking with a score of 66.01, i.e the country is 66 % of the way toward achieving the SDGs, the index reports. The 2019 Africa SDG Index and Dashboards Report was prepared by a team of independent experts from the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa and the secretariat of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The…

Borj El Amri gas turbine power plant contributes 11% to energy production

The first supply of electricity from the gas turbine took place on Thursday, with the launch of the first unit of Borj El Amri power plant, with a capacity of 312 megawatts (MW), which provides no less than 11% of the national electricity production, TAP reports. Work on the first gas turbine and the remaining components of the first phase of this energy project have taken 11 months to complete since their launch in November 2018. The installation of the second gas turbine will start in the coming period and…

Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt Call for Ceasefire in Libya

Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt have called for an immediate cease-fire in Libya, the foreign ministers of the countries said in a joint statement following a meeting on Wednesday in Tunis. The three countries neighbour war-torn Libya and denounced “the continuous flow of weapons” and the “influx of foreign terrorist fighters” in the North African country. Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to implement an arms embargo on Libya, saying illegal weapons transfers were fueling the fighting in the oil-rich state. In addition, Libyan Interior Minister Fathi…

IMF disburses $247 million loan tranche to Tunisia

Reuters reported that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday approved the payment of a $247 million loan tranche to Tunisia, the sixth under its loan program after the statement of Minister of Reforms Taoufik Rajhi. Tunisia struck a deal with the IMF in December 2016 for a loan program worth around $2.8 billion to overhaul its ailing economy. It included steps to cut chronic deficits and trim bloated public services. This will bring total disbursements to about $1.6 billion since 2016. The IMF approval will open the way for…