2010.01.2516 billion dinars, Tunisian exports to the EU

INFOTUNISIE-Since the conclusion of a partnership agreement with the European Union in 1995, the Tunisian industrial exports have quadrupled to 16 billion dinars in 2009.
In the same context, Mr. Afif Chelbi.ministre of Industry and Technology said yesterday at a discussion meeting in Tunis, the objective is to increase the rate of exports to 50% in the 2014, stating that the latest statistics from industry report that 25% of industrial exports in the year 2009 were for products with high technological composition, against only 5% in 1995.

He has also mentioned the partnership between public and private sectors to promote research, development and innovation in the industry, stressing that the presidential program "take up the challenges together" encourages national institutions to spend 1% of their GDP on research and development.
The same statistics show that nearly 4,500 companies have joined the program to upgrade industrial, entered into force in 1995, noting that this number does not exceed the 1,500 businesses in other Mediterranean countries.
The minister said that this program has contributed to increased ratios in the Tunisian industrial enterprises, which increased from 7% in 1995 to 20% today.

On another level, he highlighted the success of the privatization policy of Tunisian companies in Tunisia. This strategy, he added, has ten times the revenue of these businesses and create new jobs.
Mr. Afif Chelbi, some 1,500 European investors have participated in events organized in 2009 as part of the campaign strategy of the Tunisian industry by 2016. Efforts to promote this strategy will continue and will target other Asian and U.S. destinations, he said.

16 billion dinars, Tunisian exports to the EU

He added that Tunisia has currently an industrial land reserve covering 3,000 hectares and that this reserve could reach 4,000 ha in 2011, stressing the need to reduce the time for change in land for redevelopment and change in industrial land.
He noted that 10 major industrial projects are entered in production in 2009 in inland areas, providing 7500 jobs, knowing that their employment capacity could reach 17 000 in 2010.

The minister said new industrial projects will be implemented over the next few years in various areas of development within the target is to install 40% of Tunisian industry in these regions during the period of the XIth Plan development against only 16% currently.
M. Chelbi recalled a fund-specific intangible investments will create soon with the participation of state and international partners. It is intended to support the banking sector in financing projects based on information technologies and communication.

Regarding the implementation of the second refinery Skhira expected to improve several types of oil, he noted that the completion of negotiations between Tunisia and the British group "PETROFAC" will run to the end of first quarter 2010
The Minister referred to the strategy adopted by the state to renovate the facilities of the company Phosphates de Gafsa (CPG) and improve its competitiveness, noting that the international tender for the project Mdhilla 2 will be launched this year This will certainly enhance the competitiveness of the CPG and the chemical group of Tunisia (GCT), he said.
The GIC has contributed in 2009 to create 20 industrial projects to create 1,700 jobs. Between 2000 and 3000 new jobs will be created in 2010 through fund restructuring of the mining division and development of Gafsa.

Turning to the energy sector, the Minister mentioned the increase to 530 000, the number of subscribers to the network of natural gas in 2009, and this after the connection of 84 new cities in the network against only 4 cities in 1987. This figure will be revised upward to reach 149 cities in 2014, he said.
The Minister added, in that context that the gas cylinder intended for household use is 100% subsidized by the state and that prices will not, therefore, more subsidized.
The use of energy efficiency technologies in construction will save 30% of energy consumption in buildings, "he said.

Regarding exports of textiles and clothing, he said they were registered during the last quarter of 2009, a growth of 3% after a decline of 20% during the first half of the year. This growth is an indicator of recovery for this strategic sector that has not escaped the impact of the global financial crisis, he said.
Note, also, that Tunisia is the first country in South Mediterranean have concluded a partnership agreement with the European Union, as it has the best program of industrial upgrading, given the various witnesses made by international assessment bodies.

Source: infotunisie.com

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