Rédaction Africa Links 24 with satarbf
Published on 2024-04-19 12:40:34
It’s D-1, four days since the official delegation from Tunisia has been in the premises of the IMF and World Bank. Why? We don’t know, but what we know is that the Tunisian delegation keeps a low profile, none of its members have been on the panels or platforms for discussions and debates held by the IMF and World Bank during the Spring Meetings of 2024.
Comparable countries like Mauritius, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have been seen, but not Tunisia. Neither the governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia, nor the Minister of Economy, nor the Chief of Staff of Prime Minister Hachani. Radio silence!
Is it because the Tunisian delegation has nothing to say, no cause to defend, and even less observations and ideas to express? Is it because the delegation members are new (first time in these positions)? Is it because they are French speakers, uncomfortable in English (exclusively trained in France)? Do they have nothing convincing to publicize for Tunisians who want to know about and better understand the stakes of this already nebulous mission from the start.
This morning, in the press conferences with the IMF governor and Dr. Azour, the Director General of projects with the MENA and North Africa countries, not a single word about Tunisia.
The silence is total, the Tunisian case is not appealing to talk about. The Tunisian case is off topic and not defensible. Three possible reasons are there to explain the failure of the Tunisian delegation to defend the case and secure a loan and approval from the IMF.
1- the arguments conveyed by the Tunisian delegation are not defensible. The IMF insists on structural reforms and wants an Egyptian-like trajectory, here and now. This means devaluing the dinar, raising the policy rate, privatization, and truth in pricing.
2- The Americans do not want to give their approval for aid to Tunisia despite Italy’s insistence. France also does not want to help President Kais Saied, as reported by observers close to the French delegation.
3- The political trajectory of Tunisia, with the upcoming elections and dozens of political figures imprisoned without trial, does not bode well. Tunisia is just a counter-example, everything but what one would want to help when believing in the principles of the Bretton Woods agreements.
On the other hand, in the corridors of the IMF and World Bank buildings, there are about a dozen Tunisians working in prestigious American and Canadian universities, or international organizations, walking the corridors to scrutinize and understand what is happening.
Below are my brief interactions after the introductions, not necessarily knowing these people.
A- I met a former Islamist government minister who was ousted by a parliamentary vote. He is present as an observer attached (as he says) to the UNDP. This former minister tells me that Tunisia is not in crisis, and those who think otherwise are mistaken, adding that previous governments have done what was necessary to ensure the dinar’s resilience, expatriates inject money, and tourism returns…
B- I also met an expert in energy and decarbonization technologies, who participates at his own expense and complains about the lack of support from Tunisia for his projects. He adds that the electrification projects in Africa are designed by “Whites,” excluding Africans from the design and implementation that Tunisian experts could have handled.
C- I also met a Tunisian-born academic who spends his time courting delegations to recruit speakers for the conferences he organizes in Tunisia for commercial purposes. A deplorable and unworthy situation…
There is little time left, and we hope that the work of the next 2 days will bring some hope.
Moktar Lamari
Read the original article(French) on Tunisie Focus
