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World Bank Grants $175 Million to Tunisia

A vendor displays clothing for sale at "Souk Libya" marketplace in the town of Ben Guerdane, near the Libyan border in Tunisia May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir
A vendor displays clothing for sale at "Souk Libya" marketplace in the town of Ben Guerdane, near the Libyan border in Tunisia May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir
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World Bank Grants $175 Million to Tunisia

A vendor displays clothing for sale at "Souk Libya" marketplace in the town of Ben Guerdane, near the Libyan border in Tunisia May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir
A vendor displays clothing for sale at "Souk Libya" marketplace in the town of Ben Guerdane, near the Libyan border in Tunisia May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir

The World Bank has granted Tunisia two loans totaling $ 175 million to finance digital transition programs, Tunisian Minister of Communications Technologies and Digital Economy Anouar Maarouf announced on Saturday.

Maarouf added that the funding would expedite the implementation of the national strategic program Digital Tunisia 2020 and provide ground for making Tunisia an international digital reference.

According to the ministry, the first loan worth USD100 million will be allocated to fund the digital transformation inside the Tunisian administration, while the second loan worth USD75 million will be dedicated for funding projects of emerging projects and SMEs in Tunisia.

Notably, restructuring the Tunisian administration is one of the reforms demanded by the IMF to receive consecutive loan installments from 2016-2020 worth USD2.9 billion.

Tunisian authorities seek to allocate a minimum of USD45 million of the total amount to establish the 'fund of the funds' that would fund emerging firms in Tunisia.

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Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
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Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.