Tunisia: Cabinet Meeting discusses Draft 2026 economic budget

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Tunis – A Cabinet Meeting was held on Wednesday under chairmanship of Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri, to review the draft 2026 economic budget.

Zenzri stated on this occasion that the economic budget is a guiding document that helps acheive the principles of the Constitution, aimed to strengthen national sovereignty, consolidate confidence in the country’s own capabilities, and establish social justice among different groups.

She pointed out that the draft 2026 economic budget represents an important step on the path of nation-building and development, reflecting national choices in accordance with the vision of President Kaïs Saïed.

The objectives of the 2026 economic budget have been defined with the aim of achieving a balance between social justice and economic growth, she added.

The Prime Minister further underlined that the 2026 economic budget testifies to the State’s orientations in social and economic fields, which will mark the beginning of the implementation of the development plan for the period 2026–2030 and will contribute to achieving comprehensive development and social justice across all regions.

Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Abdelhafidh presented a briefing on the draft 2026 economic budget, which includes programmes and measures under the following axes:

Axis 1: Strengthening social achievements and improving living conditions by:

-Preserving the purchasing power of vulnerable and low-income groups;

-Providing decent and well-paid employment and reducing unemployment;

-Developing the social security and coverage system;

-Ensuring access to decent housing;

-Activating the rent-to-own mechanism and providing a portfolio of state-owned land at a symbolic dinar to public real estate developers to allow the construction of social housing, under which beneficiaries repay the housing value through monthly rents according to their repayment capacity;

-Providing a stock of state-owned land at preferential rates to the Housing Land Agency to facilitate social housing subdivisions;

-Constructing social housing units.

Axis 2: Improving public infrastructure services.

Axis 3: Developing and renewing the transport fleet.

Axis 4: Accelerating the implementation of public projects.

In social and economic fields, the Cabinet recommended strengthening the pillars of the social state, notably:

-Employment and the reduction of unemployment through a programme for new public sector recruitments in 2026;

-Continuing to implement the regularisation programme for construction workers;

-Combating precarious employment and banning subcontracting;

-Supporting decent work with fair wages and social protection.