TUNIS (TAP) - Participants in the international conference "Invest in Tunisia, Start-up Democracy," agreed, at the closing of their work Monday in Gammarth, to establish a mechanism to monitor the implementation of projects (22) presented by Tunisia at the conference.
To this end, a team composed of representatives of countries and regional and international institutions who attended the conference will be formed.
Their first meeting will take place in spring 2015.
Participants emphasised the need to continue dialogue between the different currents of the Tunisian society to resolve the economic and social problems the country will face and break with all practices of exclusion.
They recommended, in the final declaration of the conference, to review the tax system as soon as possible to increase tax revenues, particularly through expanding the tax base, narrowing the tax gap and combating tax evasion and fraud and encouraging the integration of parallel activities.
They also called for ensuring that banks have a dynamic role by accelerating the vitalisation of the asset management company to help these financial institutions adequately play their role in financing companies, particularly in the areas of tourism and agriculture and for SMEs and consumers in general.
They stressed the need to make the most of all methods of financing the economy, especially through micro-credit financing institutions and the financial market.
In terms of industrial policy, recommendations of the different participants focused on accelerating the rate of current structural reforms, increasing the rate of integration of the Tunisian economy in the international sphere (especially the European Union with which Tunisia is in negotiating an unrestricted free trade agreement).
The new industrial policy is based on incentives for encouraging investment in sectors in which Tunisia has inducements, particularly aerospace industries, car electronic components, pharmaceutical industries and textile and ready-to-wear, besides the services and ICT sectors, according to the final declaration of the Conference.
On regional development, the document stresses that economic and social modernisation remains dependent on the adoption of a new regional governance and the improvement of the business environment as well as the establishment of special incentives for regional development.
The document reiterates, in the same context, the importance of upgrading basic infrastructure and adopting decentralisation, in addition to improving the management of the public service.
Referring to employment and social justice, participants emphasised the need to reform the educational and vocational training system and use the ICT in the education field.
They underscored the need to rationalise programmes aimed to promote employment as guarantor of social justice and a way to combat exclusion.
They called for reforming the pension and health insurance system and ensuring the protection of vulnerable groups.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2014
