Tunisia: Powerful UGTT slams government for selling state-run companies in deal with IMF

Noureddine Taboubi, the Secretary General of Tunisia’s powerful labor union UGTT, Monday laid into the government of President Kais Saied for succumbing to the International Monetary Fund and pledging to relinquish control of some state-run companies, including a bank and a factory.

The government “recently made a commitment to the International Monetary Fund to sell (privatize) la Banque de l’Habitat (public), la Régie nationale des tabacs et des allumettes (RNTA) and a number of wharves in the port of Rades (commercial – north),” Taboubi said during a conference of the construction and timber sector, held under the auspices of the central union in the city of Hammamet.

The UGTT leader said the commitment is unacceptable.

Tunisia last month sealed a staff-level agreement with the IMF on an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of about $1.9 billion.

The deal, according to the Washington-based institution, aims to restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen social safety nets and tax equity, and step up reforms that support an enabling environment for inclusive growth and sustainable job creation.

Tunisia has turned to IMF as it struggles to keep its economy afloat after the pandemic. The administration of President Saied did not revealed conditions of the deal.