So that investors do not turn their back to Tunisia!

There is a close and twin causality between political stability and mobilization of foreign direct investment. These are two terms of an equation viscerally linked to one another. And in every way, investors will never inject their money where crises, revolts, strikes, sit-ins and anticipated protests of elections are common.
Moreover, a good investor is one who invests for the long term and in order to assume the needed and requested longevity, this approach must fit in an environment free from political and social turmoil whatever its origins.
Can Tunisia be challenged in this way? Certainly yes if we referred only to the number of companies that left and those planning to settle in the country, identified since January 14 2011.
Under the effect of an outpouring of shutdowns and sit-ins and a fever of demands, which it should be noted, tend to fade, many foreign companies have preferred to turn back to Tunisia to relocate in other latitudes.
But those who took the bet to stay are undoubtedly right to expect a different return on investment because the country they chose to invest is in the starting blocks of an economy where governance will be the axis organizing all economic activity whether civil liberties, social peace and the absence of turbulence, transparency, quality of regulation, rule of law and fight against corruption.
This is not wishful thinking, but guidance taken from all democratic experiences conducted so far in countries of Eastern Europe, Latin America or Southeast Asia. All of them are reaping the best dividends in many ways, first and foremost, the attractiveness vis-à-vis foreign investors, and to a greater extent in terms of economic growth and social welfare, with on top an absolutely less haunting unemployment.
The first clue, however tenuous it may be, that one can face in this regard is that despite the turmoil that rocked the country, foreign companies have not lost confidence in the Tunisian site, especially since 33 new foreign companies started production after the revolution of January 14 while 65 other existing units made expansions.
To this balance sheet drawn by the Director General of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), are added some sixty missions of foreign investors from several countries (USA, UK ….) and 15 international companies active in outsourcing who visited Tunisia to learn about the new business climate. A healthy business climate that will end the obstacles they faced before,” he said, emphasizing that all indicators portend good prospects for FDI in Tunisia.
One might be tempted to see in similar remarks a soothing message issued on the eve of the opening of the “Tunisia Investment Forum 2011,” but with a thousand participants including 320 foreigners from 26 countries, we would end up being persuaded that this is a “telltale sign of confidence enjoyed by Tunisia among international investors.”
You cannot ask more of them just when they are earnestly solicited by many investment sites, offering, in addition, numerous incentives which are in some sites beyond competition. This must mean that Tunisians should find energy and particularly lucidity to grasp and understand what is happening in the world and break with these harmful practices of strikes and road blocks, just to name a few there, and fit into the bosom of the revolution as it is healthily designed and patriotically implemented.