Public companies’ deposits fell by 23.8%, or 1.5 billion dinars, at the end of the first eight months of the year, from 6.8 billion dinars at December 31, 2022 to 4.7 billion dinars at the end of August 2023.
According to a Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) document presented at a study seminar held in parliament on November 1, outstanding deposits of public enterprises with banks fell by 4% between 2017 and August 2023.
At the same time, outstanding loans granted by banks to public companies increased by 179%.
This trend has led to a widening of the credit-debt gap of public companies to 8 billion dinars, including 7 billion dinars at the level of public banks.
Moreover, the share of foreign currency deposits converted into foreign currency loans increased from 46% in 2017 to 50% in August 2023.
Of this share, the private sector holds 32%, public companies 7%, and the state (syndicated loans) 11%, compared to 8% in 2017.
