Kais Saied fires Minister of Economy

Tunisia’s President fired Tuesday October 17 the country’s Minister of Economy Samir Saïed amid economic hardship that has gripped the North African country.
Saied’s office said Finance Minister Sihem Nemsia will also double as caretaker of the ministry.
Tunisia has been facing economic distress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine. Many partners believe the country should turn towards the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.
President Saied has refused to subscribe to the IMF $1.9-billion loan and strings attached to it.
Samir Saïed has been a proponent of the IMF loan. In July 2023 during a plenary in the parliament, the former ministry indicated the loan remained crucial, Business News reports.
“If no agreement was reached, either with the IMF or with the alternative, which we do not currently have, our sovereign rating would be downgraded”, he said.
Saïed’s removal also comes nearly three months after the appointment of Ahmed Hachani as the country’s new Prime Minister in replacement of the country’s first female Premier Najla Bouden.