In the midst of an economic crisis that is becoming more and more severe, the country's public finance is at the heart of its concerns. Budgetary deadlocks are significant and negotiations with international funds, such as the IMF, are increasingly tense, while Tunisia is on the verge of a debt default.
Tunisian consumers are struggling to survive, grappling with shortages and inflation. Essential products like sugar, semolina, rice or flour are absent from the market, while inflation continues to soar. Having declared himself the nation's savior on July 25, 2021, Kais Saied vowed to save Tunisians from hunger. Two years later, what has he actually accomplished?
While the IMF and Tunisia have been negotiating a 1.9 billion dollar rescue package since October 2022, the critical talks between the Fund and Tunis have come to a standstill. While some argue that Tunisia can do without it, the US and EU are pushing for an agreement. So, what are the most realistic alternatives for Tunisia?
Nestled in Tunisia's capital, the Spain Street market operates as an informal one, offering affordable goods to the working classes while vendors enduring daily encounters with the police. Behind this apparent chaos lies a tightly organized system sustained by tribal solidarity. What attracts these vendors to Spain Street? Why did they choose this location over others? What led them here? Inkyfada delves into this realm through the study "The Spain Street market or the essence of a street economy in Tunisia" published in October 2022 by the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES).
Since the end of February and after a long period of silence, the international community, notably the European Union, has finally shifted its focus to Tunisia. The debates surrounding the "migratory crisis" are flagrantly mixed with economic concerns, as tensions rise between the IMF and Kais Saied, who has just turned down a loan from the Fund.
For several years now, Tunisia has been facing an economic crisis. As a result, the government is struggling to finance the state budget for the year 2023 and, as in previous years, will have to rely heavily on borrowings. Inkyfada tries to unpack some figures by breaking down the state budget to 100 dinars.
Since the revolution, the money that Tunisian migrants send to their families in Tunisia is increasing significantly. Even during the pandemic, these so-called remittances reached a record high. Why? And how does this impact the Tunisian economy?
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