8 October 2008
Tunis — President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.The meeting examined a set of draft bills and listened to an exposé on the 2009 draft economic budget, as well as a briefing on the annual report pertaining to youth.
The meeting also examined the draft State budget for 2009, which was worked out on the basis of 2008 results and expectations , the aims set by the presidential programme and the orientations of the 11th Development Plan.
The 2009 draft budget reflects the commitment to carrying on the State's efforts of promoting employment, boosting infrastructure and encouraging investment. Additionally, it is meant to carry on the policy of subsidizing hydrocarbons and consumer goods in order to preserve the enterprises' competitiveness and the citizen's purchasing power, while making sure that the country maintains its financial balances in light of the difficult world juncture marked by successive fluctuations.
According to the scenarios envisaged, the comprehensive forecasts for the next State budget will be of about 17.2 billion dinars, with an increase of credits earmarked for development and pursuing the subsidizing policy of the consumer goods. An amount worth some 850 million dinars will be allocated to the Compensation Fund, in addition to direct subsidies worth 890 million dinars to subsidise hydrocarbons prices.
The meeting also examined the finance bill for the coming year which includes a set of measures and legal provisions concerning the following axes:
- Boosting competitiveness of enterprises, inciting investment and rationalisation of intervention of investment companies at development capital, while further guiding these interventions toward the regional development zones,
- Boosting social measures,
- Strengthening the efficiency of the taxation system, as part of compliance with the imperatives of transparency and fairness, in such a manner as to develop the budget resources.
Later the meeting listened to an exposé on the draft economic budget for 2009, which reviewed the development prospects for the coming year and its importance, given the fact that it is a reference year for conceiving of the next development strategy.
The exposé reviewed the stakes of the next year which notably consist in reaching a higher growth rate, which requires greater dynamic for investment, particularly in the innovative and the higher added-value sectors; investments which will help increase job creations at a pace equal in level to the evolution of applications.The exposé indicates that the development scheme retained for the new year aims at achieving a 6-per-cent growth at constant prices, compared with expected 5.1% for 2008, while keeping inflation under control at rate of 3.5%, in such a manner as to preserve citizens' purchasing power, boost the economy's competitiveness and create 82,000 jobs to better meet the additional needs, not to mention the consolidation of the social gains.
The exposé also looked at the world financial crisis and its implications. From the different exposés , it appears that Tunisia, thanks to its comprehensive development policy based on enhancing efficiency and reconciling the economic and social dimensions, has managed to keep up its general economic and financial balances and endow the national economy with a greater capacity to face up to the external fluctuations.
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali underlined the need to follow up the implementation of the various policies and different programmes he had instructed to carry out and to strive judiciously to materialise the orientations and strategies set in order to reach the sought-after targets in the various fields, notably those related to employment and reinforcement of the economy's competitiveness, calling to step up efforts to keep up the general balances.
The Head of State also recommended to closely monitor developments on the world scene and notably on the international financial markets to protect the country from their effects, safeguard the national economy and boost the development dynamics, in accordance with the fixed targets.
The meeting also looked at draft law providing for the approval of the amendment to Article 12 of the agreement on the International Satellite Telecommunications Organisation (INTELSAT) to protect space orbits and attached frequencies and provide communication services on the global level.
The meeting also examined a draft bill providing for the approval of the convention on the use of international water courses for ends other than shipping, in order to make the most of them, step up co-operation to develop their hydrological capacities and prevent pollution.
The meeting also looked at a draft bill providing for the approval of the Statutes of the Arab Centre for the Protection against Dangers of Earthquakes and other Natural Disasters.
This bill notably aims to build the Arab countries' capacities in this field by strengthening scientific co-operation, encouraging the organisation of training, research and study operations, exchange data and make use of modern techniques.
The meeting also looked at a draft law providing for the approval of a convention on air transport between Tunisia and the Arab Libyan Jamahirya which replaces the convention signed in 1973, in order to follow the development experienced by the air transportation sector and particularly in the fields of air security and civil aviation safety.
The meeting listened to a briefing on the farming situation, from which it appears that the farming campaign was launched under good conditions.
As part of reinforcing support to farmers and materialising the extension of irrigated cereal areas and improving the output of hard wheat, regional and local teams were set up to follow up and guide farmers.
The meeting also examined results achieved in the growing of olive trees and citrus fruit producing sectors, as well as the results of fruit growing, dates and vegetables, while stressing the progress made in the sector of biological farming.
Before closing its works, the meeting listened to an exposé on the annual report pertaining to the situation of youth in the period between July 2007 and June 2008.
The report pointed to the interest taken in the youth sector in the different fields, following the measures taken by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on the 20th anniversary of the Change and first and foremost bringing down from twenty to eighteen years the minimum voting age and the proclamation of 2008 as the Year of Comprehensive Dialogue with Youths, in addition to the organisation of a national consultation on employment and the elaboration of a national strategy for the benefit of youths. The report also addressed a set of themes that are among the priorities of the action taken in favour of youth.
With regard to education and training, the report noted the increase in the schooling and success rates in the different educational institutions, as well as the drop in the rate of illiteracy among young people, in addition to the modernisation of teaching methods and the curricula and the reform of the higher education system.As to employment, the report highlights the successive presidential measures which helped create more jobs and income sources, speed up the rate of creating businesses and encourage higher graduates to turn to self employment.
In the field of leisure and activities dedicated to youth from low-income families and people from densely populated districts and rural and border areas, it noted that nearly 500,000 youths from both sexes benefited, in the summer season, from leisure activities.As to the cultural, leisure and sports clubs within university institutions , their number reached 3,179 and their activities touched upon more than 103,000 students.
With regard to listening to and engaging in dialogue with young people , the report underscored the influx of youths to local forums of dialogue circles, as well as their sector-based workshops.For its part, the Internet site dedicated to the dialogue with youth recorded the participation of over 175,000 visitors.
As part of his continuous attention for young people and their aspirations, the President of the Republic recommended to further work to develop the mechanisms of dialogue with youth, to further identify and analyse some of issues pertaining to youth and suggest solutions to them by relying on the conclusions of this dialogue so as to define adequate programs and carry them out as part of a partnership with all the parties concerned, and notably components civil society.
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