Tag: Business

Monastir: Tunisia is experiencing a revival in cruise tourism, with some 80 cruises scheduled for this year, mainly to the ports of La Goulette, Sousse and Zarzis, representing some 220,000 arrivals, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Mohamed Moez Belhassine told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to inspect work at a hotel in the tourist area of Monastir. Belhassine stressed that his ministry is seeking to develop cruise tourism. He added that during the current year, the ministry aims to confirm the good results achieved last year, when the number of arrivals reached about 4.9 million tourists and tourism revenues approached 7 billion dinars. The focus will be on the quality of tourism services, infrastructure, reception, tourist transport, tourist environment, tourist accommodation and archaeological and historical sites, he said, stressing that achieving quality is everyone's responsibility, including the citizen's responsibility in the field of cleanliness and care for the environment. The Minist er then visited the Monastir Marina, where he listened to a presentation on the expansion project of the Monastir Marina, which currently has 300 moorings and 57 hotel apartments with a capacity of 210 beds, and is expected to reach 400 or 450 moorings with the expansion project. This project, which has received preliminary approval from the Coastal Protection and Development Agency, is currently in the process of completing the legal procedures. He also listened to a presentation on the preparation and repair of the main entrance to the marina at an estimated cost of 600,000 dinars, as well as the obstacles preventing the desired development of Monastir Marina. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The use of debt to finance growth factors and create growth is the only way to secure public debt sustainability, the Tunisian Institute of competitiveness and quantitatives studies (French: ITCEQ) said. "This would help steer a way out of this vicious circle," further reads a recent report entitled "Sustainability of the Public Debt in Tunisia: Dynalmics and Challenges." The snowball effect will also be mitigated and the country will move away from the scenario of economic restructuring with all its negative impact on the economy, said the ITCEQ. The institute urged the need to diversify sources to finance the State budget which means better productive capacities and a reform of the taxation system. This would also help contain the budget deficit. Increased rationality and efficiency need to be at the core of reform. Strengthening the investment dynamic through a better business climate to reboot private investment and continuous action to protect enterprises and households at this is juncture are also highly recommended to consolidate the public finance position and secure the sustainability in the long run of public debt. There is also need to combat informality, undertake structural changes in the economy by targeting high-value-added and knowledge- intensive sectors and promote digital and ecological transition. The public debt outstanding amounted to TND 127.2 billion (80.2% of the GDP) in 2023 against TND 25.640 billion (39% of the GDP) in 2010, ITCEQ said referring to figures provided by the Finance Ministry. The debt per capita edged up from TND 2,430 in 2010 to TND 10,300 in 2023, that is + 330%. The structure of public debt is dominated by external debt with an average rate of 64% between 2011 and 2023. External debt accounts for 64% of the government deby outstanding in 2023 against 61% in 2010. Since 2021, recourse to domestic debt has grown as a result of bigger financing needs of the State budget and tighter conditions of external funding. Lending in foreign currency is the main fea ture of domestic debt. Yet, external debt is more than ever dominated by budget support mobilised in the multilateral framework. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: B2B meetings involving business operators from Tunisia and the Czech Republic will be organised Monday at the headquarters of the Tunis Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIT). The CCIT is organsing the event, in collaboration with the Tunisian embassy in Prague and in partnership with the region of Brno, the Czeh Republic. The delegation of Czech business operators represents the sectors of aerospace industries, water treatment, the automotive industry, entrepreneurship and startups and scientific and technical equipment. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) North Africa office launched a call for consultancy to conduct a comprehensive fauna assessment in GSraa Sejnane. GSraa Sejnane is a key biodiversity zone in Mogods, a mountain range in northeast Tunisia. The inventory is intended to help develop an initial action plan to safeguard Eurasian otter populations in Tunisia, said the WWF. One applicant civil society organisation will be selected. It will be tasked with conducting detailed field surveys in GSraa Sejnane so as to compile a comprehensive fauna inventory while focusing on the Eurasian otter. Likewise, the selected organisation needs to draw up a scientific report on the current state of biodiversity in GSraa Sejnane, put in place an action plan on the conservation of the Eurasian otter and organise a workshop on the scientific monitoring of biodiversity for local actors. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) has embarked on setting up infrastructure for informal traders. Addressing micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners of the Moses ||Garoeb Constituency in Windhoek on Saturday, Minister of Industrialisation and Trade Lucia Iipumbu said the ministry has identified the need to upgrade and develop infrastructure of MSMEs and has budgeted N.dollars 4 million under the current financial year towards the Informal Economic Traders Platform Infrastructure Development programme. She said MSMEs makes up 40 per cent of the country's traders and therefore the ministry has committed towards budgeting for the upgrading of informal trader economic hubs. 'We think we have done enough with industrial and SME parks, our focus now is on informal traders. We see many people are selling their products on the margins of the street and many of you are street vendors. So our focus is that each financial year we at least envisioned to give three main informal trad ers space,' she said. She indicated that through the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA) a total of 46 industrial and SME parks were constructed across the country. Iipumbu further explained that the programme is done in collaboration with local authorities, noting that under the current financial year, infrastructure development will commence in Okalongo in the Omusati Region, Mariental in the Hardap Region and Henties Bay in the Erongo Region. She explained a ministerial tour in City of Windhoek's informal settlements during the COVID-19 era in 2020 identified that about 19 informal economic hubs need infrastructure development. Also, she noted the ministry has the Industrial Upgrading and Modernisation Programme (IUMP) that offers free training on behavioural change, finance and equally assists traders with equipment between N.dollars 50 000 and N.dollars 400 000. 'Everybody needs training, even you selling fatcakes. We came to realise that we need to train you on how to manage your finances. We don't want you to continue selling 20 fatcakes a day which will gain you a profit that is only enough for you to buy a 1kg maize bag, we want you to grow and think in terms of growth,' she said. Iipumbu also indicated that the ministry has revived in 2023 the Equipment Aid Scheme which was halted since 2016 due to budgetary constraints, which supports MSME owners with start-up equipment. Source: The Namibia Press Agency