The Tunisian Central Bank revealed that the foreign reserves of Tunisia increased to 22.3 billion dinars (7.7 billion dollars), equivalent to 131 days' imports, benefiting from loans and aid of about one billion dollars obtained to meet the repercussions of the Coronavirus.
According to the Central Bank, the hard currency reserves in this period of last year were in the range of 14.3 billion dinars, which covers 83 days' imports.
Tunisia obtained a $745 million loan from the International Monetary Fund to contain the effects of the Coronavirus and the European Union granted Tunisia about $275 million.
Meanwhile, the "Union of Customs", representing the private sector institutions and companies in Tunisia called on the authorities to gradually return to work. According to the union, it is necessary to return to work with all the conditions of health and safety in the institutions, to protect the human element compulsorily.
It is noteworthy that most of the private sector factories, restaurants, cafes and major commercial areas have been closed since the announcement of a public quarantine in the country on March 22 to prevent the emerging "Corona" virus. More than 400,000 workers in the tourism sector are on the brink of unemployment due to the health crisis and the international air traffic disruption.
The government announced earlier that $850 million would be allocated to contain the effects of the health crisis, job preservation and institutional protection, as well as financial mobilization from international lending institutions and financial donations from the European Union. The government also allowed institutions to postpone the payment of taxes and allocations to social funds for a period of 3 months with the opening of a 300 million dinars ($104 million) financing line to support a fund dedicated to technical unemployment.
Source (Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Edited)
