TUNIS, Aug 27 (NNN-Xinhua) — Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden on Friday highlighted the importance of bolstering cooperation with the World Bank to advance structural reforms in the country hit hard by a financial crisis.
Bouden made the remarks during her meeting with a World Bank delegation led by its Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Ferid Belhaj, according to a government statement.
The Tunisian prime minister also stressed the importance of developing the country’s private sector and called for the World Bank’s support for small and medium-sized enterprises in Tunisia.
For his part, Belhaj called on Tunisia to improve its business environment in order to encourage investment, the creation of jobs, and support for the private sector.
The Tunisian government is seeking to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a 4-billion-U.S. dollar loan to avoid bankruptcy.
To unlock the IMF fund, Tunisia needs to implement deep reforms, including freezing wages, cutting energy and food subsidies, as well as privatizing some state-owned companies. — NNN-XINHUA