Foreign investments in Tunisia were up by 13.1% in late September 2023, compared with the same period in 2022, reaching TND 1.8 billion or the equivalent of USD 601.6 million or pound 555.4 million. According to the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), these investments include portfolio investments, estimated at TND 136.4 million (compared with TND 5.6 million at the end of September 2022), and foreign direct investments (FDI), estimated at TND 1,725.7 million (compared with TND 1,641 million in September 2022). In terms of FDI, investments in the energy and services sectors fell by 7% to TND 351 and 6.5% to TND 351.6, respectively. However, investments in the manufacturing industries increased by 15.4% to TND 1,016.5 million, and those in the agricultural sector rose by 10% to TND 6.6 million. FIPA also pointed out that, excluding the energy sector, foreign investments helped carry out 505 investment operations worth TND 1,374.7 million, creating 9,406 direct jobs. Furthermore, a regional disparity was seen in the geographical breakdown of investments, given that the governorates of Greater Tunis accounted for 51% of these international investments, while the north-east region attracted 25.6%. France remains the largest investor in Tunisia, with TND 444.8 million, followed by Qatar (TND 282.2 million), Italy (TND 184.9 million) and Germany (TND 120.4 million), according to the same source. Many economic players in Tunisia point to a number of difficulties affecting the business climate, notably bureaucracy. According to them, a range of draft laws, once adopted, could inject a new dynamic into the business and investment climate in Tunisia. These include the Foreign Exchange Code and the law on financial inclusion.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse