Tunisia Must Accelerate Shift Toward Investment and Wealth Creation
Tunisia must now accelerate its transition toward investment and wealth creation. This was the key message delivered by Fethi Zouhaier Nouri, Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), during a meeting with senior officials from the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The Governor noted that the country has thus far demonstrated its ability to absorb climate and geopolitical shocks. However, he emphasized that this resilience is no longer sufficient. “It is time to shift from a logic of resilience to a logic of wealth creation,” he stated. To realize this strategic pivot, the BCT is placing particular emphasis on accelerating project execution and investment. Two sectors were specifically highlighted: phosphates and renewable energy.
Fethi Nouri also called for a revival of private investment, while underscoring the efforts made to maintain exchange rate stability and preserve foreign exchange reserves. For the BCT, the current priority is to translate macroeconomic stability into increased economic activity and investment.
World Bank and IFC Aim to Strengthen Their Engagement
The World Bank confirmed its interest in delivering concrete solutions in the areas of infrastructure and private sector development. Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, the World Bank’s Country Director for the Maghreb and Malta, described the partnership with Tunisia as being built on three pillars: projects, results, and the pursuit of operational solutions.
Meanwhile, Ary Naim, IFC’s Director for Africa, announced the institution’s ambition to significantly increase financing for Tunisia. The IFC plans to bolster its investments in infrastructure and enhance its support for the internationalization of Tunisian companies. Specifically, the IFC intends to mobilize various financing instruments to help Tunisian firms gain greater access to capital and expand internationally. This initiative is directly linked to the private sector’s capacity to take the lead in value creation and job generation.
