The Gafsa Phosphate Company (GPC) produced 3 million tons of phosphate in 2018, i.e. half of the Government’s forecast.
Disturbances at the crude phosphate production sites caused by recurring employee strikes and claims related to the company’s recruitment competitions severely penalized the CPG’s activity, which saw its production fall to 3 million tons in 2018 compared with 3.9 million tons a year earlier.
Before the 2011 Revolution, Tunisia was ranked 5th largest phosphate producer in the world, with an average annual production of more than 6 million tons and even reaching 8 million tons in 2010.
Since then, sit-ins and protests over recruitments within the CPG are raging. Blockages, clashes, social and regional protests related to job demands and recruitment competitions … the phosphate sector is facing a long series of disputes.
Therefore, the national company reported a net loss of 130 million dinars in 2018, against a deficit of 129 million in 2017, IlBoursa reported.
The operating result, meanwhile, is negative 90 million dinars against -80 million a year earlier.
The last annual activity report published by the company dates back to the 2015 financial year in which the CPG had recorded a net loss of 108.4 million dinars for a turnover of 487 million dinars.
In 2015, the company employed 6,682 people including 3,006 enforcement agents, 3,066 supervisory officers and 347 senior executives, representing a payroll of 193 million dinars
