TUNIS - "The exchange rate of the Tunisian dinar (TD) registered a slight improvement compared with the foreign currency, from 2.3 to 2.25 euros. This rising was favoured by the political situation, and more precisely by the appointment of the new Prime Minister," Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) Chedly Ayari said on Saturday evening.
Answering the questions of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) members on the complementary finance law, Ayari said that all the indicators show that the change rate of the TD will further improve shortly.
"The issue faced in 2013 is that of the management of the scarcity of foreign exchange due to the increase of the needs in front of the regression of exports and decline in external credits," he specified.
According to the governor, several measures were taken by the BCT to face up the depreciation of the dinar, including notably, the obligation made to exporters to resort to their own reserves in foreign currency and not to the BCT to fund their importation.
The public companies should also resort to only one bank to be supplied in foreign currency to fund their importation operations.
Besides, the BCT will continue to play its key role of regulator of the exchange rate, by opting to purchase the dinar, each time that it is necessary to limit its depreciation. This operation cost the BCT in 2013, 2 billion dinars.
Ayari also said that the reserves in foreign currency stand, presently, at 109 days, which is comfortable", he said, especially thanks to an amount worth 500 million dollars provided by a Qatari Trade Bank.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2013
