Repayment of Tunisia's Debt: A Strategic Choice
The repayment of Tunisia's entire debt is a strategic choice, developed based on a methodology that conforms to public accounting standards, according to economic expert Maher Belhadj. He specified that, according to these standards, the deadlines for public credits, particularly external credits, are recorded in advance in the treasury's accounts to ensure payment of commitments throughout the financial year.
Debt Repayment Rate Exceeds 100%
On this basis, the debt repayment rate has exceeded 100%, meaning that all commitments under the debt service (principal and interest) must be honored, within the framework of preventing liquidity problems, while relying on the country's foreign exchange reserves, Belhadj indicated on Friday in a statement to TAP.
Security Indicator
He also stated that the repayment index, which stands at around 125% as of September 2025, is a security indicator that reflects the repayment of all debt deadlines for the current year, including interest, exchange rate fluctuations, and various margins and commissions from lenders.
Solid Financial Situation
The expert emphasized the solidity of Tunisia's public financial situation, which demonstrates its capacity and sovereignty in financial management, both domestically and internationally.
Foreign Exchange Reserves
According to the monetary and financial indicators of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) published on October 9, 2025, the country's foreign exchange reserves reached 24.6 billion dinars, equivalent to 105 days of imports.
Decrease in Debt Rate
Tunisia is expected to record a decrease in its debt rate, which is approaching 80% of the gross domestic product (GDP), accumulated mainly over the last decade.
Improvement in Public Finances
The revenues from the external sector, particularly export revenues from phosphate and other strategic materials, as well as other foreign exchange earnings, will contribute to improving public finance balances. This will enable Tunisia to rely more on its own resources while adopting the principle of self-reliance.
Orienting Foreign Investment
Belhadj also called for quickly directing foreign investment towards supporting infrastructure and the economic fabric, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent 80% of the economic fabric and are sources of wealth creation.
Reducing Debt
This approach should reduce reliance on debt in all its forms, he explained.
Reducing Tax Pressure
The expert also stressed the need to alleviate tax pressure on families and individuals, who represent a lever of consumption, allowing them to direct part of their savings towards investment.
World Bank Forecast
It is worth noting that the World Bank (WB) predicted in its latest report, published on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, that the debt trajectory would improve slightly, with Tunisia's public debt reaching 83.6% of GDP in 2027, compared to 84.5% in 2024.
Budget Deficit Reduction
The WB also predicted that the state's budget deficit would decrease from 5.7% of GDP in 2025 to 4.4% in 2027.
President's Statement
The Head of State, Kaïs Saïed, recalled during his meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, with the Head of Government, Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri, that Tunisia has chosen to rely on its own means and has repaid all its debts on time, even though the people have not benefited from it as they should.
Denouncing Foreign Intervention
He denounced those who advocate for foreign intervention, according to a statement from the Presidency of the Republic.
