The number of enterprises participating in the industrial upgrading programme reached, in the October 2008, 4093 enterprises out of a total of 4800 targeted for the end of 2011.
The Narional Committee for upgrading announced in its periodical meeting held Thursday in Tunis the adoption of 2808 upgrading projects submitted, totaling investments of about 4631 million dinars, of which 640 million dinars in subsidies.
The textile and clothing sector takes the lead at the sectoral level with a rate of 44% approved projects, followed by the sectors of the agro-food and mechanical industries with a rate of 12%.
Until the end of October, 257 enterprises adhered to the upgrading programme, 104 enterprises had their upgrading project approved for investments of about 49 million dinars.
The number of applications approved in the area of priority technology investments is 3109 for investments estimated at 146 million dinars and bonuses of 67 million were also approved.
The number of enterprises having implemented an upgrading management programme is 870 enterprises, among which 277 are active in the mechanical and electric industry sector and in the computing systems.
Mr Meftah Amara, director general ot the industrial upgrading office confirmed that efforts are being focused on the following step to complete the participation of enterprises to the upgrading programme in order to enable them to take advantage of the mechanisms and programmes provided.
Efforts will be focused on encouraging enterprises to invest in immaterial related to quality, computing, innovation and to adhere to the framework of networkd and development poles which will be responsible for export, supply, research and innovation.
Mr Afif Chelbi, minister of industry, energy and SMEs, highlighted the importance of the role of the industrial upgrading since 1995 in the development of the industrial sector.
Indeed, the value of exports was multiplied by 5 over the period (1995-2007) from 3 billion dinars in 1995 to 15 billion dinars in 2007.
Its share in the total value of export increased from 40% in 1995 to 84%, in 2007.
Tunisia has become in 2007 the first South-Mediterranean country exporting industrial products to the European Union since the sector exports to this region exceeded 6,7 billion Euros in overtaking Morocco, Egypt and Malta.
The Minister added that the volume of foreign investments in the industrial sector progressed to increase from 50 million dinars in 1995 to 486 million dinars in 2007, reaching a global investment volume of about 6 billion dinars against 8,2 billion dinars for 1995.
The minister said that the study undertaken on the industrial strategies by 2016 helped to identify ambitious objectives for this sector aiming mainly at tripling the volume of exports in the sector to exceed the billion dinars in 2007 and exceed 3 billion in 2016 against 15 billion dinars in 2007.
A coherent strategy aiming at the realisation of these objectives will be presented in the Arab and European world in the beginning of next year.
