IMF Responds Positively to Tunisia’s Request for Funding Program

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters)
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IMF Responds Positively to Tunisia’s Request for Funding Program

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters)

Tunisian authorities received a letter from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva that included the acknowledgment that Tunis will remain a reliable partner.

Tunisian government sources said that the IMF welcomed the reform package, which was discussed between the government and labor union.

They indicated that the program that the IMF will discuss must guarantee the stability of the Tunisian economy in the near future coupled with sustainable growth.

According to the correspondence, the fund stressed it is fundamental to tackle the problem of sustainability of public finances and debt, implementing ambitious reforms of public companies, salaries of the public administration and energy subsidies. It called for addressing the entrepreneurial climate, stability of the financial sector and financial inclusion, social protection and governance.

Tunisian economist, Mohsen Hassan believes the IMF would react positively to the government's demand to finance its economic program, which will not be affected by the political and economic crisis.

He stressed the possibility of agreeing on a new economic program that would enable the mobilization of the necessary financial resources to protect the country from bankruptcy and chaos.

On Sunday, the IMF stated that Tunisia formally requested a new financing program, lauding the efforts of the government’s talks with the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) on subsidies, taxes and state institutions.

Georgieva said she would assign a delegation to conduct technical talks as soon as she receives more information about the reform program.

Tunisia’s economic program addresses six main issues: liberalization of the economy and an improvement of the entrepreneurial climate, improvement of the fiscal system, reform of the public function, the transformation of public companies and a program of investments to revive the economy.

Tunisia reported a budget deficit of TD18.5 billion, according to preliminary estimates, however, a number of economists believe it will increase to 21.5 billion this year.



Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
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Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters

Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Syria.

The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad.

But Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.

"Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December," Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates, AFP reported.

It is "a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions," he said.

"This proves that we need political solutions -- not another wave of instability and displacement."

After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed.

But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion.

Earlier this month, UNHCR estimated that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons may return by the end of 2025.