Broad outlines of post-constituent economic programme

An economic and social development strategy for the 2012-2016 period designed to bring necessary reforms on the short and middle terms will be handed over by Caretaker Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi to the next Government. According to a statement from the Prime Ministry's information cell, a copy of which was received by TAP, on Monday, this strategy comprises an emergency programme seeking to step up job creation through exceptional hiring of 30,000 youth in the public sector, launch of projects in ICT as part of public-private partnership, promotion of regional development with an additional amount of the State budget allocated to inland regions and vitalisation of private investment. These short term actions also aim to improve living conditions of population in disadvantaged regions and ameliorate security conditions which are the guarantor of the revitalisation of economic activity. These actions also seek to enhance the institutional framework, transparency and administrative and financial management and adopt a targeted approach to optimise the allocation of social assistance. Regarding financing, the foreign financing plan in the short term seeks to mobilise public financial resources and quick disbursing while keeping debt at an acceptable level. On the medium term, the strategy proposed by the Government aims to work out a new development model for Tunisia advocating prosperity and social justice. This new model seeks, in particular, to restore confidence through transparency, social responsibility and citizen participation, ensure transition of the Tunisian economy to an innovating high added value economy, encourage private initiative, enhance integration of the economy internationally, entrench social justice and equal opportunities, ensure adequate and viable financing of development and rehabilitate public service and social action and protect the environment.