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Tunisia Discusses Reform Program With IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Reuters)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Reuters)
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Tunisia Discusses Reform Program With IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Reuters)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Reuters)

The Tunisian government asserted its commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to develop a program of economic reforms.

The program comes in line with the government's vision of cooperating with the international financial structure, and financial capacity.

During his first virtual meeting with the IMF experts, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said that Tunisia is ready to implement a number of structural reforms.

“Tunisia is preparing to launch structural economic and social reforms, after having put in place the institutions and bodies that strengthen the democratic process.”

The Tunisian government is looking for a feasible way to finance the current year’s budget after its agreement with the IMF ended in 2020.

The agreement enabled Tunisia to obtain $2.9 billion used to finance the budget and run state affairs.

A number of Tunisian economic and financial experts expect it will be difficult for the government to fulfill its financial pledges and establish economic, social, and structural reforms.

Former Trade Minister Mohsen Hassan and economist Ezzeddine Saidane indicated that reforms implemented by the current and former government had negative impacts at the local level.

Prices of various commodities continued to increase, including fuel and medicine, as the Tunisian dinar devalued against foreign currencies, especially the euro and the dollar.

Meanwhile, the Tunisian parliament approved a $19.2 billion budget for 2021, a 1.8 percent increase compared to last year's budget.

The budget deficit was estimated at $2.9 billion, over seven percent of the GDP.

The record budget deficit questions the current government capabilities to overcome the deep financial gap, in light of a continuous economic recession and an increase in government expenditures, despite repeated warnings from the IMF.

The budget calculated the price of oil at $45 per barrel, as the Finance Ministry set a growth target of four percent by the end of 2021.

However, economists and financial experts believe the government will not be able to improve the growth index during the current year due to the lack of local resources and the negative indicators affecting the restructuring of the Tunisian economy.

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Dollar Resumes Upward Trend, Euro Hits Lowest since Nov 2022

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Dollar Resumes Upward Trend, Euro Hits Lowest since Nov 2022

US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

The dollar hit new multi-month highs against the euro and the pound on Thursday, the first day of 2025 trading, as it built on last year's strong gains on expectations US interest rates will remain high relative to peers.

The euro fell to as low as $1.0314, its lowest since November 2022, down around 0.3% on the day. It is now down nearly 8% since its late September highs above $1.12, one major victim of the dollar's recent surge.

Traders anticipate deep interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank in 2025, with markets pricing in at least four 25 basis point cuts, while not being certain of even two such moves from the US Federal Reserve, Reuters reported.

The dollar was hitting milestones across the board and the pound was last down 0.65% at $1.2443, its lowest since April, with its fall accelerating after it broke through resistance around $1.2475.

"It's more of the same at the start of the new calendar year with the dollar continuing to extend its advances in anticipation of Trump putting in place friendly policies at the start of his term," said Lee Hardman, senior currency analyst at MUFG.

US President-elect Donald Trump's policies are widely expected to not only boost growth but also add to upward price pressure. That will lead to a Fed cautious about cutting rates too much further, in turn underpinning US Treasury yields and boost dollar demand.

A weaker growth outlook outside the US, conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war have also added to demand for the dollar.

The dollar also reversed an early loss on Thursday to climb against the Japanese yen, and was last up 0.17% at 157.26.

It reached a five-month high above 158 yen in late December, potentially putting pressure on the Bank of Japan, which is expected to raise interest rates early this year, but possibly not immediately.

"If dollar/yen were to break above 160 ahead of the next BOJ meeting, that could be a catalyst for the BOJ to hike in January rather than wait until March," said Hardman.

"Though for now markets are leaning towards March after the dovish comments from (governor Kazuo) Ueda at his last press conference."

Even those who are more cautious about sustained dollar strength think it could take a long time to play out.

"The dollar may be vulnerable – but only if the US data confound market expectations that the Fed doesn’t cut rates more than once in the first half of this year, and not by more than 50bp in the whole of 2025," said Kit Juckes chief FX strategist at Societe Generale in a note.

"There's a good chance of that happening, but it seems very unlikely that cracks in US growth will appear early in the year – hence my preference for taking any bearish dollar thoughts with me into hibernation until the weather improves."

China's yuan languished at 14-month lows as worries about the health of the world's second-biggest economy, the prospect of US import tariffs from the Trump administration and sliding local yields weighed on investor sentiment.

Elsewhere, the Swiss franc, another victim of the recent dollar strength, gave back early gains to last trade flat at 0.90755 per dollar.

The Australian and New Zealand dollars, however, managed to break away from two-year lows touched on Tuesday. The Aussie was 0.36% higher at $0.6215 having dropped 9% in 2024, its weakest yearly performance since 2018.

The kiwi rose 0.47% to $0.5614.