Press Release No. 18/29

Statement by IMF Managing Director on Meeting with the Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed

January 30, 2018

“The Prime Minister and I had a very productive meeting. We discussed the recent events in Tunisia and the government’s efforts to improve the economy.

“We understand the frustration of the Tunisian people who have not yet felt the full economic benefits of their country’s political transformation. This process is difficult and takes time. Reforms are key for people to reach the point where they begin to see unemployment drop and growth pick up.

“We support the government’s reforms and will continue to work closely with them to ensure the reforms are socially balanced. Some of the government’s key achievements include the 2018 budget law and the civil service reform strategy aimed at improving service quality and slowing the growth of the public sector wage bill. We also support reforms that aim at ending corruption and improving the business environment, and the health of pensions and state-owned enterprises.

“We all share the same objective; growth and fairness. We are working together to achieve a stronger economy for Tunisia and a brighter future for all the Tunisian people.”