The Financial and Banking Council (CBF), the employers’ organization of Tunisian banks, has certainly never done so much to open up this professional body, a sort of “union” of bank bosses, to its environment since it was entrusted to Néji Ghandri in May 2023, reinforced almost a year later by Sonia Sahli as managing director.
The former is the CEO of one of the largest banks on the market (Amen Bank) and the latter comes from the Central Bank of Tunisia.
Under Ghandri, bankers talked only about profits, interest rates and banks in general. To set an example – and there are many – the current chairman of the CBF has undertaken to commission one of the largest companies in the sector to carry out an in-depth study of the Tunisian banking and financial sector from December 2023, in order to gain a thorough understanding of the sector, know how best to defend it and better integrate it into its economic and social environment.
Bankers are also starting to talk about climate and the environment, and are providing training on the risks posed by these factors.
With him, bankers are interested in AI and its impact on governance, talking with the WWF about responsible finance, promoting new forms of enterprise and even training community leaders, and are now interested in financing decarbonization to transform the Tunisian economy and even the decarbonization of financial institutions.
A national guarantee fund for subsidized green loans?
On December 5, 2024 in Tunis, Néji Ghandri, Chairman of the CBF, stressed the importance of decarbonization in transforming the Tunisian economy and boosting its competitiveness.
In his speech, Mr. Ghandri pointed out that decarbonization is not only an environmental obligation, but also a unique opportunity to boost the competitiveness of Tunisian businesses and position Tunisia as a regional leader in sustainability.
He called for a concerted mobilization of the state, businesses, banks and international partners to make this ambition a reality.
The Chairman of the CBF proposed the creation of a national fund dedicated to decarbonization, which could include various innovative financial mechanisms such as a guarantee fund to reduce risks, a line of subsidized green loans and targeted subsidies.
This fund would be used to help Tunisian companies, especially SMEs, to adopt clean and innovative technologies. In his view, these efforts should be seen as strategic investments in the future of businesses and not simply as constraints.
Banks to accelerate energy and technology transition
He also highlighted the role of international financial institutions, which are already key partners, but whose support would be more effective with mechanisms better adapted to the specific characteristics of Tunisian businesses.
This cooperation should also help to strengthen local expertise, which is essential to accelerate the energy and technology transition.
Finally, Ghandri stressed the central role of Tunisian banks in this drive. By innovating with financial products such as leasing for sustainable equipment or subsidized loans, banks can become strategic partners in helping businesses move towards a greener economy’.
