The 6th edition of the African Trade and Investment Finance Forum (Fita) started on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, in Tunis, at the initiative of the Tunisia-Africa Business Council (TABC).
The two-day event, organized under the theme: “Africa in the midst of the global crisis and the role of the private sector in sustainable and inclusive economic transformation”, aims to “get across the message that Tunisia is not a racist country and that all Africans are welcome here under the law”, declared TABC President Anis Jaziri at the opening of the conference, in a limpid allusion to recent statements by President of the Republic Kaïs Saïed on the migration of sub-Saharan Africans to Tunisia, described as racist and xenophobic by some parties.
Reassuring messages will be sent to African and international delegations to restore Tunisia’s image in Africa and the world, added Jaziri, who had recently voiced concern about the difficulties encountered by some Tunisian operators in sub-Saharan Africa following the controversy surrounding irregular migrants.
Some 750 foreign businessmen, mostly from African countries, and 70 exhibitors are taking part in this year’s event, which includes over 2,000 B2B meetings to encourage exports and identify niches for Tunisian companies in Africa.
Agreements will also be signed, likely to help Tunisian businessmen embark on projects in Africa, in addition to the planned conclusion of an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), said Jaziri.
“Despite the problems and challenges, some 160 Tunisian companies are currently established in Côte d’Ivoire and over 30 in Dakar, Senegal, as well as others in Cameroon and Kongo”, he stressed.
TunisianMonitorOnline
