Tunis — "The construction works of the Gabes-Medenine-Ras Jedir section of the TransMaghreb motorway will start during the first half of 2013," said on Monday in Tunis Equipment Minister Mohamed Salmane.

He added, at the opening of the international conference on "Infrastructure in North Africa" (INA), that the works of this section, over 180 km and links the Tunisian-Libyan borders to the Tunisian-Algerian borders, is expected to be completed in 2018.

As regards the set of infrastructure projects scheduled in 2013, the Minister cited notably the ongoing works of the Sfax-Gabes and Oued Zarga-Bousalem motorways, the achievement of the studies related to the motorway linking the Bou Salem region to the Algerian borders, as well as the Tunis-Zaghouan-Kairouan-Kasserine motorway towards the western borders of the country.

He also cited the asphalting of 2,000 km of rural tracks and refitting of 37 industrial zones over 890 hectares.

Mr. Klaus Ritter, President of the Euro Institute for Information and Technology Transfer (EITEP), organiser of the conference noted that the quality and the quantity of the North Africa infrastructure services are lower than those provided by the other countries of the region. The needs in this field are estimated at 100 billion dollars per year during the next 20 years, he said.

According to this official "the countries of this region need to improve their infrastructure, which are necessary to development". He reiterated the developed state's will to provide the necessary support in this field.

As regards Tunisia, the constraint of instability will be resolved in the coming years, Mr.Ritter said who voiced hope to see the government bring new political and economic orientations in such a manner as to facilitate economic recovery.