Tunis — More than 1,000 Tunisian industrial companies employing a total workforce of 177,000 people have launched their financial restructuring and upgrading at a cost of 1600 million dinars, announced on Tuesday, Mr. Afif Chelbi, Minister of Industry and Technology.

On the occasion of the closure of a seminar on new measures for financial restructuring of small and medium enterprises, the Minister stressed that these companies received awards under the upgrade program (PMN) in accordance with the financial stability criteria of each company.

[1]"80% of industrial enterprises have joined the Tunisian plan which was launched in 1995", said Mr. Chelbi who also added that this program achieved significant results and makes Tunisia the largest exporter south of the Mediterranean to the European Union (EU). The plan also contributed to treble the number of industrial enterprises that currently offers 600,000 job positions", said the Minister.

He also noted that a collective investment fund of 15 million dinars was created. A credit line of 25 million dinars was also set up in order to finance the banks providing credit for SMEs and industrial services.