Tuesday, 12 November 2013
TUNIS (TAP) - The Cabinet meeting adopted, on Tuesday, the final version of the draft investment code before its submission to the National Constituent Assembly (NCA).
The draft investment code has 56 articles, Secretary of State for Development Noureddine Kaabi said at a press briefing after the meeting.
These articles are intended to "ensure greater flexibility and openness with regard to market access through the reduction of activities subject to prior administrative authorisation," Kaabi added.
"Enshrining the principle of free investment, giving all guarantees to investors, organising the issue of dispute resolution and introducing new provisions in land ownership are the main new features of the draft investment code," he indicated.
He also added that the draft code, developed on the basis of a participatory approach for more than 14 months, provides for the creation of two investment structures: the higher investment council and the national investment authority.
The authority will have decentralised offices enjoying a decision-making power in order to ensure greater transparency in the implementation of provisions of the code at the regional levels, he said.
He also noted that the code has taken into consideration the priorities of the next period, particularly regional and inclusive development, employment, reinforcement of activities with high added value, knowledge economy and exports, by relying on the principles of governance, transparency, sustainable development and improvement of combativeness.
A press conference will be held to provide further details on the main provisions included in the investment code, he announced.
During the same meeting, the Cabinet adopted a draft decree on public procurement which is part of the policy designed to ensure transparency and meet relevant international standards in tenders and honouring Tunisia's commitments to the World Bank.
Two other draft decrees were also approved, said Minister Adviser to the Prime Minister Noureddine Bhiri.
The first aims to prepare the statute of the Committee of State Controllers while the second involves the creation of the high authority of public procurement and developing the statute of public procurement controllers.
The aim is to provide the necessary legislative framework to protect public procurement against corruption and achieve good governance in the public service, said Bhiri.
A draft decree on stakeholding of public institutions and enterprises in public banks to separate between the authority of the state as shareholder in these banks and that of the public authority, limit state interference in the management of these banks and ensure needed flexibility to banks' activities in terms of recruitment and conclusion of contracts was also adopted.
The Cabinet also adopted a draft decree on interventions and activities of the fund for the development of information and communication technology and means to finance them.
It also adopted a donation agreement signed between Tunisia and the African Development Bank (AfDB) on public/private partnership and other decrees related to periodic government work.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2013
