“The budget deficit has reached 5 billion dollars, and the Central Bank is under pressure!” Shocking numbers in Tunisia’s draft budget and citizen Kisol, where is the country going?!

صحافة بلادي — Economists in Tunisia sounded the alarm after revealing the financial indicators of the state budget draft referred to Parliament and the Council of Regions and Regions, as official estimates indicate a budget deficit of approximately $5 billion, equivalent to about 7.3 percent of the gross domestic product.

Resorting to direct financing from the central bank and the risks of inflation

In the face of the difficulty of accessing international financial markets and the faltering negotiations with donors, the Tunisian authorities resorted to the option of direct financing through the Central Bank of Tunisia and searched for alternative formulas, which experts warn of as additional fuel for the wave of inflation and the erosion of the value of the Tunisian dinar.

Controversy of the increase in the prices of tea and rice and the supply disruption in the markets

In parallel with the budget discussion, the rise in prices of widespread consumer goods, such as tea and rice for the private sector, sparked a new wave of discontent in the Tunisian street, prompting the Ministry of Commerce to issue an explanatory statement to calm public opinion.

Unions warn of wage erosion and demand real economic reforms

The Tunisian General Labor Union and civil society organizations stressed that the accounting and tax treatment of the crisis is no longer useful, calling for the launch of a comprehensive economic and social dialogue that will save public institutions and protect the purchasing power of Tunisians.

Available field data and indicators confirm that these rapid developments in the Maghreb region are being closely monitored by various institutional actors and economic experts, given their direct connection to the current geopolitical and social balances.