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Tunisia
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Introduction
Located
only 137 kilometres from Europe across the strait of Sicily, the
Tunisian Republic is situated in northern Africa on the coast of the
Mediterranean Sea. It has a coastline of 1,148 square kilometres and is
bordered by Libya to the east and Algeria to the west. Tunisia has a
temperate climate in the north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry
summers. The southern portion of the country is desert.
Since
independence in 1956, Tunisia has experienced profound political change.
Since 1987 fundamental reforms have been introduced to promote the
democratic process and enhance the state of law and institutions. The
associative movement has grown considerably, with almost 7,000
associations and NGOs active in Tunisia in various fields: sciences,
culture, sports, arts and development.
The
civil status code of Tunisia (further improved in 1993) banned polygamy
and gave woman the same rights as men, politically, economically and
socially. Women compose about a quarter of the working population and
more than 5,000 of them are CEOs.
The first national solidarity programme launched
in 1992 provided basic infrastructure in disadvantaged regions: roads,
health care centres, schools, and housing. To avoid marginalisation and
provide stable income, the Tunisian Solidarity Bank financed more than
1000 small-scale and micro businesses every month.
Investment
Climate
Tunisia
maintains a clear and far-reaching vision of development. Major reforms
have been introduced in the areas of taxes, financing, privatisation,
liberalized foreign and domestic trade, investment incentives and
modernization of production and infrastructure. Social dimensions are a
basic consideration in all reforms. This step-by-step approach has
allowed Tunisia to emerge as a model of economic, political and social
stability.
In
1995, Tunisia was the first country on the southern coast of the
Mediterranean to sign an association and free trade agreement with the
European Union. The agreement provides a market access entirely free of
duties and levies, with no quota for industrial products and
preferential access for agricultural products.
The
are several advantages to investing in Tunisia such as:
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Freedom to invest in numerous sectors; |
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Clear, transparent and investment-friendly legislation in a single code; |
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A one-stop window to simplify all administrative procedures; |
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Numerous advantages for totally exporting companies; |
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A skilled labour force with a surprising aptitude to rapidly master new technologies; |
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An effective legal protection for investors; |
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Current asset Convertibility; and, |
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A functional infrastructure continuously improving. |
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Tunisia's
competitive position for foreign investment - FIPA
has just published a report based on an independent study that compared
the costs of production of a selection of products and services in
Tunisia with a number of other countries. Two specialist consultants
firms, IDOM of Spain and Buck Consultants International of Holland,
carried out the study, which was commissioned by FIPA.
In the study, the consultants carried out a
detailed examination of the costs of production and operating costs for
the following products and services: Car seats; Plastic mechanical
connectors; Cable harnesses; Electronic connectors; Printed circuit
boards; Electrical cable connections; Corrugated boxes; Plastic moulded
yoghurt pots; Pharmaceutical contract packaging; Software development;
and, Call centres. In all of these products and services, the study
concluded that Tunisia has a major competitive advantage as a foreign
investment location, compared to the following countries: Morocco,
Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Turkey and Poland.
Tunisia – India
Relations
Since the establishment in 1958 of Diplomatic relations between Tunisia and
India, 17 Agreements and Memoranda of Cooperation covering political and
security consultations, economic, cultural, judicial, scientific, and
tourism were signed.
The
last few months were marked by the multiplication of the exchange of
visits and the meeting at a ministerial level in New Delhi in May 2002
of the 9th Joint Committee during which the two countries agreed to
further strengthen their bilateral cooperation and to map out jointly a
strategy for the materialization of the promising prospect of mutually
beneficial cooperation and partnership. The following sectors offer
opportunities for Tunisian-Indian cooperation.
Textile
Industries -
Tunisia is the 4th supplier of clothing to the European Union and among
the top 15 suppliers worldwide. Opportunities: Thread for the domestic
market; Fabric for offshore clothing units; Hosiery; and, Upper end
ready to wear clothes.
Leather
and Footwear Industries - Footwear is the 5th most important item exported by Tunisia.
Opportunities: Dress and leisure shoes; Uppers; Safety Footwear; Medium
and upper end women’s leather handbags; Luggage items; Medium and
upper end small leather goods; and, Quality leather for the needs of
both off shore and on shore companies.
Pharmaceutical
Industries -
There are 16 main suppliers of medicine in Tunisia, including 12 drug
companies, notably French and American. Opportunities: Medicines for
human use; Vaccines; and Generic Medicines.
Car
Parts Industry -
Five out of eight suppliers to the European Union work from Tunisia,
holding a 69 percent share of this market. Opportunities: Car Cables;
Electronic Components; Plastic Components; Seat Assembly and production
of seat covers; Exhaust Pipes; and, Shock Absorbers.
New
Information Technologies -Tunisia has many advantages, which will help it become a regional pole
for activities with high added value. Opportunities: Integrated Call
Centres based on CRM; Customer Relationship Management Model;
Inter-Enterprise; Business to Business electronic commerce; Computer
Engineering Services; Design and Publishing services; Multimedia and
data and management bases
Tourism
- Tunisia
is the top tourist destination in the southern Mediterranean.
(Opportunities: Seaside tourism, especially in Hergla, Salloum and Gabes,
Cultural Tourism based on archaeological sites, Sbeitla and Bulla Regia,
Ecological Tourism in Kerkenna and Zouaraa, two poles for environmental
tourism, Sports and Mountain Tourism, Ain Drahum and Tabarka,
Recreational and Leisure activities)
Electrical
Industry
– Tunisia is the 9th largest supplier of electrical cable harnesses to
the European Union. Opportunities: Cable Harness; Connecting Apparatus;
Lighting Apparatus; and, Cells and Batteries)
Electronic
Industries -
Tunisia has improved its rank as an attractive country for electronics
industry. Opportunities: Printed Circuits; Connectors; Spools and
Transformers; Condensers and Coils; and, Television Assembly
Packaging
Industry -
Priority is given to environmental protection, through encouragement of
new recycling techniques. Opportunities: Glass packaging for
pharmaceutical industries; Cardboard Boxes; Corrugated Cardboard Boxes;
and, Films and Compounds)
Agri-Business
Industries –
Tunisia is a top world exporter of dates and the 4th exporter of olive
oil. Opportunities: Setting up of olive oil processing plants;
Production of new date-based products; Modernization of date processing
units; and, Production of fish based prepared foods)
CONTACTS
Ministry
of Tourism: www.tourismtunisia.com
FIPA: www.investintunisia.tn
CEPEX: www.cepex.nat.tn
Tunisia
Country Data
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Official Name:
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Tunisian Republic
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Capital:
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Tunis
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Natural Resources:
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Petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
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Population:
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10,074,951 (July 2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.99%
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Languages:
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French, English
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Religions:
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Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, others 1%
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GDP:
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US$70.88 billion
(2004 est.)*
Real growth rate: 5.1 % (2004 est.)
Per capita: US$7,100 (2004 est.) * |
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Industries:
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Manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries, service
sector, transport and communication, tourism and other services
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Main
Exports:
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Textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and
chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
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Main
Imports:
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Machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals,
food
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Currency:
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Tunisian dinar
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* Purchasing Power
Parity
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