Two financing agreements were signed on Monday between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and two Tunisian banks — Amen Bank and UBCI — for a total amount of €20 million, as part of the launch of the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) program in Tunisia.
During the meeting held for this occasion, Slim Bouasker, Financial Institutions Analyst at the EBRD office in Tunis, explained that this program, with a total budget of €60 million, aims to support Tunisian SMEs in their ecological transition projects, with the backing of the European Union.
In the first phase, €20 million were allocated to Amen Bank (€10 million) and UBCI (€10 million), Bouasker said, adding that the remaining €40 million will later be made available to other banks, microfinance institutions, and leasing companies.
These funds will be used to grant loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in green projects, particularly those focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy, he noted.
He also stated that beneficiary companies will have access to technical assistance to help them structure and successfully implement their projects.
Additionally, SMEs may receive grants ranging from 10% to 15% of the loan amount, once their projects have been completed.
Toward a “more sustainable and resilient” economy
According to Amen Bank’s CEO, Neji Ghandri, this initiative marks an important step in the shared commitment toward a greener, more sustainable, and more resilient economy.
“Through the GEFF credit line, we are offering Tunisian businesses competitive financing in local currency, technical support for the evaluation and implementation of green projects, and an EU grant to encourage project developers to take the leap toward an energy and ecological transition,” Ghandri explained.
He emphasized that each project supported by the GEFF program contributes to reducing Tunisia’s energy dependence, alleviating pressure on the energy balance, and better directing public resources toward innovation and sustainable job creation.
For his part, UBCI’s CEO, Mohamed Koubaa, stressed that this financing line represents a new step in supporting the Tunisian economy, which needs to develop financial engineering capabilities to integrate into the global dynamic.
Since the start of its activities in Tunisia in 2012, the EBRD has invested nearly €2.8 billion across 83 projects nationwide, 67% of which have benefited the private sector.
It is worth noting that Tunisia’s green transition is a strategic initiative aimed at transforming the country’s economy and society toward a more sustainable, ecological, and resilient model.
This effort is based on the National Strategy for Ecological Transition (SNTE) launched in 2023 and is supported by financing programs such as the €60 million EBRD–EU initiative for green enterprises and projects fostering entrepreneurship.
