foreign direct investment (FDI) figures in the first 5 months 2011 have just come out.
FDIs have reached 579.8 MTD at the end of the first five months, against 763.9 MTD in the same period of 2010, i.e. a fall of about 24.1%.
These investments are divided at a rate of 552.2 million dinars in FDI and 27.6 million dinars in portfolio against 732.2 and 31.7 million dinars, respectively, in the first five months of 2010, says the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) which published these figures.
The analysis of FDI flows showed a concentration on energy sectors and manufactured industries for the respective values of 340 MDT and 132.7 MTD.
Sectoral breakdown shows that declines observed are mainly sustained by the sectors of: tourism, manufacturing industries and energy with respectively, 94.7%, 25.6% and 19%.
An analysis of the distribution of FDI within the manufacturing sector shows a high concentration at the level of mechanical, electrical and electronic industries that come in the first place with the implementation of 42 projects totaling investment of 40.8 MTD and the creation of 1,630 of job positions, followed by textile and clothing with 37 new projects and the creation of 2,055 jobs.
The mechanical and electronic industries are the first two industrial sectors in attracting FDIs, job creation and exports.
The sectors of chemical industries and plastics recorded respective increases in FDI flows of 76.7% and 40.2% compared with the same period of 2010.
Still according to FIPA, France remains the first foreign investor in terms of number of projects, amounts invested and jobs created with respectively 57 projects, 80.9 MTD and 1,597 jobs created.
Italy comes second with 32 new projects for a total of 26 MTD invested.
Although projects from Italy create on average more jobs (1,474), a decrease of 4% compared with the same period in 2010 was recorded.
The third place went to Germany with 11 projects carried out, 12MDT of investment and the creation of 858 new job positions.
Finally, the first five months of 2011 were marked with:
– Start of production of 66 new FIEs
– Completion of 86 extension operations by foreign companies operating in Tunisia as part of the development of their activities.
– Creation of 5,099 new job positions, including 4,566 in manufacturing industries.
