Rejection of Article 67: Tunisian Parliament Blocks Foreign Currency Account Opening
During the plenary session held on Saturday, November 30, 2024, dedicated to examining the articles of the 2025 Finance Bill, the new Article 67 related to the opening of foreign currency accounts was rejected with 51 votes against, 48 votes in favor, and 30 abstentions.
This measure aimed to simplify access to foreign currencies for Tunisian citizens residing in Tunisia.
Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri Nemsia warned that these accounts, fueled by foreign currency transfers, could expand the parallel foreign exchange market, encourage speculation, and weaken the dinar against foreign currencies, while creating a parallel exchange rate.
There is also a risk of these accounts being used for money laundering and a possible decrease in transfers from the Tunisian diaspora, which are essential to the foreign exchange reserves of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT).
