The International Monetary Fund announced on Tuesday that a mission of its experts concluded a visit to Tunisia last Monday as part of negotiations held by the International Financial Institute with a country in crisis to provide it with an assistance program.
“The Tunisian authorities and the IMF experts have made significant progress in identifying the main parameters of the authorities’ policies and reforms that the program with the IMF could support,” the fund said in a statement.
He added: “Discussions will continue in the coming weeks.”
The IMF welcomed “the Tunisian authorities’ continued advancement of their economic reform agenda to maintain macroeconomic stability, support inclusive growth and strengthen social safety nets, and tax equity.”
He also welcomed “the openness of the government and social partners to a constructive dialogue regarding the implementation of a socially sensitive and growth-enhancing reform agenda.”
The statement quoted Mission Chief Björn Reuter as saying that “discussions on a new agreement under the Expanded Financing Facility to support the authorities’ economic policies and reforms have been fruitful.”
He added that IMF experts and Tunisian officials “will continue discussions in the coming weeks with a view to reaching an agreement at the expert level.”
Negotiations between Tunisia and the IMF revolve around a reform program proposed by the government led by Najla Boudin, and the Fund envisages that the loan will be accompanied by sweeping reforms.
According to experts, the amount of the loan is about two billion euros.
Source: AFP.