Tunisia Aims to Accelerate Modernization of Its Economic Framework through Investment Code Reform
The Press - The urgent need to reform the Investment Code in Tunisia has been brought to the forefront by the rapporteur of the Strategic Planning Commission at the Assembly of the People's Representatives, Salah Selmi. According to him, the current framework has become outdated and no longer meets the requirements of the administration or the expectations of investors.
In an interview with a private radio station, Selmi emphasized that Tunisia can no longer afford to delay this reform, which is essential to improve the country's economic attractiveness and simplify the business environment. The ongoing revision aims to break away from the current administrative complexity and establish a simpler, more readable, and more efficient system.
Three key axes are being highlighted: the digitization of the investment framework, the restructuring of the concerned administrative structures, and the digitalization of procedures. These measures aim to facilitate project creation, encourage investment, and stimulate job creation. Selmi also noted that several foreign investors have left the Tunisian market due to the complexity of administrative procedures, which he considers a worrying signal.
The reform of the Investment Code is expected to be accompanied by a review of the Exchange Code, considered a crucial lever to open up new perspectives for investors and economic operators in Tunisia.
As part of the examination of the text, the commission continues its consultations with the main economic organizations in the country, including the Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce, and Handicraft, the Confederation of Citizen Enterprises in Tunisia, the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fishing, the National Organization of Entrepreneurs, and the Mixed Chambers Council.
According to ongoing work, a consensus is gradually emerging among the various stakeholders, with the aim of building a more incentive-based and better-adapted legal framework to the economic development and growth challenges in Tunisia.
Structural Reforms and the 2027 Budget
The economic situation in Tunisia requires deep and urgent structural reforms, according to the vice-president of the Finance Commission at the Assembly of the People's Representatives, Dhafer Sghiri. He believes that the 2027 budget will be a major turning point in the management of the country's budgetary balances.
In an interview with a private radio station, Sghiri explained that Tunisia is facing a growing gap between state revenues and expenditures, in a context marked by a continuous increase in social needs and increasingly strong financial constraints. According to him, these imbalances make courageous economic decisions indispensable.
He noted that the preparations for the state budget are currently following the usual procedures of consultation between the Ministry of Finance and public structures. However, the main orientations of the 2027 budget have not yet been officially announced, which limits exchanges to analysis and projections. Sghiri also mentioned the possibility of a complementary budget for 2026, due to fluctuations in the international context, particularly the increase in oil prices.
He recalled that the budget was established on the basis of an estimated barrel price between $63 and $64, while current prices are around $85, which could destabilize public finances.
On the economic front, he estimated that the current system has reached its limits and that a thorough reform is inevitable. He emphasized the need to review the subsidy system, which he considers difficult to sustain in the current conditions. He also judged that the 2.6% growth rate recorded in the first quarter of 2026 remains insufficient in the face of the country's economic challenges. According to him, Tunisia needs a higher growth rate to improve its overall economic situation.
Finally, the deputy highlighted that the phosphate and mining sectors continue to suffer from structural difficulties, despite positive performances in other areas such as agriculture and olive oil. He recalled that current priorities should focus on reforming the Exchange Code and the new investment law, which he considers essential to stimulate investment and strengthen the country's economic attractiveness.
