Economy

One of the most developed and diversified economies in the region, Tunisia has for years attracted praise for relatively prudent management. However, the country has suffered from reduced growth following the 2011 revolution, which in turn has exacerbated a number of structural problems. A pair of terrorist incidents in 2015 further complicated the situation, dampening the performance of the tourism sector – a key employer – but hopes are high that 2016 will see a recovery in growth. Furthermore, the government – with strong support from international donors – is pursuing a wide-ranging series of reforms aimed at streamlining the economy and boosting foreign investment in order to put the country on a strong and sustainable long-term development path. Providing that the government can maintain stability and continue to push through and implement its reform agenda, on which the IMF says the medium-term economic outlook depends, factors such as the country’s well-educated workforce and proximity to Europe should help to attract more investment and boost long-term growth levels. This chapter contains interviews with Slim Chaker, Minister of Finance; Yassine Brahim, Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation; Wided Bouchamaoui, President, Union Tunisienne de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’Artisanat (UTICA); and a viewpoint from Adnène Zghidi, Managing Partner, BDO Tunisia.