“Given the way it runs the country, the government of Habib Essid gives the impression that it is a caretaker government,” President of the Finance Committee of the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP), Slim Besbes told AfricanManager on Thursday, July 16, criticizing the absence of bold and courageous measures. “The government has been working to this day without a program and without approach while the country needs courageous and urgent measures that can produce immediate positive effect,” he said. Asked about the 2015 draft supplementary budget law still slow to emerge, Slim Besbes, assured that the text in question will be discussed next Monday or Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting. However, he criticized the delay in the consideration of this bill, noting that consultations are being held in government to make some changes to this law especially after the terrorist attack in Sousse. According to his statement, the setback in the treatment of additional finance law in 2015 represented as much delay in government action, particularly setting up of urgent measures in light of the severe economic crisis in Tunisia since the Sousse attack and whose impact was evident particularly on the tourism sector and related activities such as air transport and the service sector.
Thus the Presidency of the HPR has established several measures to accelerate the review process for bills pending for years in the Assembly. It was decided in particular that members of the HPR will not benefit this year of the entire parliamentary holidays provided for by the Constitution.
Now they will be working during their two-month summer recess (August and September) to take part in special sessions scheduled at committee level.
This decision was taken to complete the review of all bills that have not yet been discussed at the HPR including those relating to the loan of the World Bank, restructuring of public banks, the public-private partnership draft law, the bill on reconciliation or the one on competition.
It should be recalled that the work of the HPR on the review of the bill on the fight against terrorism and money laundering were completed on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at committee level and all articles of this project were approved.
A plenary session will be held, therefore, after Eid el Fitr for final approval of the bill.
It should be noted here that the HPR Bureau recently decided to mobilize all means necessary to complete the review of the bill on the fight against terrorism and money laundering before Republic Day on July 25. Thus, members of the Committee in charge of that bill were called to redouble efforts and work day and night if necessary to achieve the desired objective.
The HPR is expected to hold a plenary session on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 in Bardo. The plenary will be devoted to the examination of a set of very urgent to bills like the draft law on public-private partnership, the recapitalization of banks or the one on competition.
