Tunisian Finance Minister Houcine Dimassi called on the United States, head of G8 countries, to energize the conventions announced last May in Deauville, France, to help Tunisia cope with the difficult domestic and international economic situation.
“Falling tax revenues in 2011, dropping public enterprises’ transfer and Tunisia’s commitment to pay a huge amount of its public debt during 2012 have heightened pressure on the State’s budget,” Mr. Dimassi said at a meeting Monday, with U.S. ambassador in Tunis Gordon Gray.
“The situation, in actual fact, dictates that all stakeholders’ efforts be combined to identify the necessary funding sources to revitalize the economy and help recover the usual growth rate,” he added.
Mr. Gordon Gray said that his country “plans to intensify talks in this period to look at the possibilities to implement the Deauville conventions.”
“The United States is aware of the economic challenges Tunisia is facing and it is ready to support it at this transitional period, notably by strengthening partnership in business, backing up small and medium enterprises and technical guidance,” he asserted.
