Tunis — "The World Bank (WB) discussed with the Tunisian authorities on the possibility of an additional budget support for 2013" underlined Mr. Simon Gray, World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb, in a statement a copy of which was received by TAP news agency.

"This support will depend on the performance of the government programme for energising business environment and promoting transparency and good governance," he added.

Mr. Simon Gray is in Tunisia on January 23-24, 2013 as part of a WB delegation visit led by its President Mr. Jim Young Kim. This visit aims to express the support of the WB to the Tunisian experience in matters of democratic transition in spite of the difficult conditions the country is going through, the WB first executive said on Wednesday.

After a meeting held Wednesday in Dar Dhiafa in Carthage between the WB delegation and several Tunisian officials, the WB President voiced pride of the progress achieved in Tunisia, and the courage of the Tunisian people, asserting that the country must carry on the work initiated to guarantee the success of the economic recovery and become a success story to be followed by all the countries of the region.

It is worth noting that Investment and International Co-operation Minister Riadh Bettaieb who also attended the meeting, had asserted that the "WB granted its agreement in principle for granting Tunisia a loan worth 500 million dollars, under the shape of budget support to 2013."

This financial institution had granted Tunisia, in December 2012, a loan worth 500 million dollars to support the economic and social recovery.