24 November 2009
TUNIS - Tunisia, a country that has accepted to submit its economy to the various international specialised bodies' assessment, has always been able to distinguish itself in several sectors of activities.

In 2009, for instance, Tunisia earned good ratings on the world scale, particularly in matters of competitiveness, resistance to the crisis, promotion of information and communication technologies (ICT) and quality of life.

Competitiveness: Tunisia keeps on leading in Africa
The annual report of the World Economic Forum on Global Competitiveness (2009-2010) ranked Tunisia on top of the African countries and 40th in the world out of a total of 133 surveyed countries.

This ranking is set on the basis of twelve quantitative and qualitative pillars: institutional environment (legal and administrative framework), macro-economic stability, infrastructure, health and primary education, innovation, market efficiency (financial, labour and goods), technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, higher education and training.

On the African scale, Tunisia did better than South Africa (45th), Egypt (70th), Morocco (73rd), Algeria (83rd).

Compared with the European countries, Tunisia comes ahead of such countries as Portugal (43rd), Poland (46th), Slovakia (47th), Italy (48th), Hungary (58th), Turkey (61st), Romania (64th) and Greece (71st).

By headings, Tunisia ranked 5th at the world level in matters of good management of public spending, 7th in quality scientific higher education, 8th in costs of agricultural policy, 9th in availability of scientists and engineers and 11th in protection of speculators' interests.

The same report shows that Tunisia achieved other performances at the institutional level. It was ranked 16th in matters of public confidence in policy-making and 18th in neutrality of government decisions on the world scale.

Tunisia also won a very good score in the area of macro-economic stability (55th). Thus, it went up by 20 places compared to last year's ranking (75th).

Tunisia: among best 10 countries that resisted the crisis
The "Bespoke Investment," a global report on countries' capacity to resist the international financial crisis, ranked Tunisia at the 6th place out of a total of 82 countries.

This report accounts for this good rating to the lack, in the Tunis Stock Market, of "poisonous" products in portfolios of Tunisian banks and absence of speculative investment funds.

This good score, the report reckons, has to do with Tunisia's option in favour strategic productive investments, utilising participation of foreign banks in the capital of local banks, such as those of BNP Paribas (France) in the capital of the « Union Bancaire pour le Commerce et l'Industrie » (UBCI), of « Société Générale » (France) in the capital of the "Union Internationale des Banques (UIB) and Attijari Wafa Bank (Morocco) in the capital of Attijari Bank.

The same report also highlights the exceptional measures taken in due time to assist during the whole year 2009 companies that saw their activities slow down as a result of the crisis and appropriate a budget fund to this effect.

Tunisia, "best Arab pleasant country"
Tunisia was ranked on the top of Arab countries in matters of quality life, by Irish "International Living" Association," an observer of living quality in the world.This 2009 ranking is set on the basis of ten criteria that relate to the environment of life and health of people cost of living, economy, environment, culture, leisure, health, infrastructure, risk, security and climate. Each country is graded out of 100 points on each criteria.

Graded 56 out of 100, Tunisia ranks ahead of Morocco (55 pts), Lebanon and Jordan (54 pts), Bahrain (51 pts), Egypt and Syria (50 pts).

By sub-heading, Tunisia achieved an excellent score in matters of climate (84 pts), risk and security (86 pts), cost of living (70 pts), environment (65 pts) and health (65 pts).

The quality of life index is shared out as follows: 15% for the cost of living, 15% for economy (set of macro-economic indicators: GDP, GDP per capita, rate of growth), 10% for environment (greenhouse gas emission per inhabitant), 10% for culture and leisure (rate of reading and illiteracy), 10% for freedom (extent of political freedoms), 10% for infrastructure (number of airports, mobile telephones per inhabitant, kilometres of motorways per inhabitant, etc.), 10% for risks and security and 10% for climate (taking into account rainfall, average temperature and natural disasters, etc.).

Business environment: Tunisia moves up four ranks
Tunisia was ranked 69th out of 183 countries by "Doing Business," an annual report conducted by the World Bank on business environment.

With this score, Tunisia moves up 4 ranks compared to last year's ranking ( 73rd).

This ranking was set on the basis of several criteria. The first assesses conditions for creating companies (number of necessary procedures to set up a company or register a commercial property, etc.).

According to this criterion, Tunisia remains competitive compared to countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MEAN) region.

Thus, it takes 11 days to create a company, compared with 20.7 days in the region.

The second criterion pertains to building permits (duration and necessary costs for building warehouses, obtaining building permits, inspections and connection to water, telephone, electricity networks, etc.).

In Tunisia, it takes 84 days to receive this permit, compared with 159 days in countries of MEAN region.

The same report shows that Tunisia achieved a very good score in the area of investors' protection (73rd). It thus moves up 70 places, compared to its ranking in the previous year (143rd).

Other criteria retained by the report, labour market flexibility, transfer of ownership, tax payment and transborder trade.

Tunisia, first in Maghreb and Africa in ICT readiness
The 2008-2009 Economic Forum on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Report ranked Tunisia on top of countries of the Maghreb and Africa, 4th in the Arab world and 38th in the world out of a total of 134 countries.

Drawn up on the theme "Mobility in a Networked World," the report appraises the extent to which countries are ready to use ICT efficiently.

By sub-headings, Tunisia received good scores at the international level: it was ranked 3rd in government's success in ICT development and 8th in the position held by ICT in government strategy.

In the Maghreb region, Tunisia ranks ahead of Morocco (86th), Libya (101st), Algeria (108th) and Mauritania (109th).

In Africa, Tunisia has done better than South Africa (52nd), Botswana (77th) and Senegal (80th).

Compared with the Euro zone countries, it was ranked ahead of Hungary (41st), Italy (45th), Greece (55th), Romania (58th) and Poland (69th).

Tunisia, first in North Africa in good governance
Tunisia was ranked first in North Africa for its performances in matters of governance with a score of 71.5 points out of 100 points. The report was set by the "Kennedy School of Government," an academic institution stemming from the prestigious American Harvard University.

Tunisia distinguished itself by its performance in "human development, transparency and rule of law" and for the "climate of security" prevailing in the country, with respective scores of 89, 70.5 and 100 points.

With this ranking, Tunisia comes ahead of Algeria (7th), Morocco (12th), Egypt (18th) and Libya (21st).

Devoted this year to "Strengthening Governance in Africa," this report, which includes for the first time North African countries, sets ranking on the basis of 57 good governance indices focused on determinants of security, transparency, rule of law, participation and human rights, economic stability and human development.

The report highlights the correlation between good governance, on the one hand, and development and security of each country, on the other one. The document points out, in this regard, that "the best governed African countries are those which are better led, offer good services to their citizens, hold free and fair elections and are the least corrupt."

Tunisia, among the planet's "Happiest countries"
"The Happy Planet Index," an index set by British think-and-do tank "New Economics Foundation" (NEF) ranked Tunisia 29th in the world out of 143 countries.

This ranking, which touches on 99% of the population of the globe, calculates the index of happy planet on the basis of three pillars: ecological marks (appropriate use of resources), real well-being (people's quality of life) and life expectancy of individuals (health).

With a score of 54.3 points out of 100, Tunisia comes ahead of many developed countries, such as the Netherlands (43rd), Germany (51st), Switzerland (52nd), Belgium (64th), Italy (69th), France (71st), Great Britain (74th), Canada (89th), Australia (102nd) and United States (114th).

Tunisia, second most politically stable country in Africa
Tunisia was ranked second in Africa, fifth in the Arab world and 32nd at the international level out of 165 countries in matters of political stability.

Drawn up by the "Economist Intelligence Unit," this ranking is set on the basis of several political and social criteria related to distribution of revenues, regional belonging, role of institutions, social peace and democracy. It takes into account several economic indicators: growth, production, progress of revenues and employment.

These performances show fairness of the Tunisian development model which rests on correlation between the economic and social dimensions and evidences more than ever Tunisia's capacity to resist to external shocks and to iron them out, thanks to the presidential measures taken in due time.

© Agence Tunis Afrique Presse 2009