The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani on behalf of President Kais Saied on Monday, discussed a draft law on the financing of the state budget and a draft decree regulating the tax privileges of Tunisians living abroad.

The draft law concerns the approval of the financing agreement signed on May 16, 2024 between the Tunisian state and a group of local banks to finance the state budget by mobilising a foreign currency loan to meet the financing needs provided for in the 2024 Finance Law, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministry.

The draft decree "regulates tax privileges for Tunisians living abroad and the conditions and procedures for granting them".

The proposed draft decree comes within the framework of establishing the conditions and procedures for the application of Article 24 of Law No. 13 of 11 December 2023. This article allows Tunisians living abroad to benefit, once every ten years, from a total or partial exemption from the payment of customs duties and fees when importing or acquiring on the local market a motorcycle, a passenger car or a car for professional use, including off-road vehicles with a gross weight not exceeding three and a half tonnes, according to the draft decree.

The proposed draft decree also includes provisions to harmonise with the amendments to the Customs Code and Decree No. 197 of 23 January 1995 on the regulation of tax privileges for Tunisians abroad, in order to make it easier for Tunisians abroad to benefit from these privileges.

It also includes hybrid vehicles and vehicles that run exclusively on electricity among the types of vehicles covered by the exemption, in line with technological developments that use alternative and clean energy and in response to requests from Tunisians abroad.

At the opening of the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed the new members of the government and stressed the need for harmony in the carrying out government work and coordination between the various ministries.