TUNIS: Tunisia’s President Kais Saied said in a video published by his office on Sunday that there were contacts with “friendly countries” to cut the country’s financial deficit, without giving details.
Tunisia’s fiscal deficit and public debt both grew sharply last year as a result of the pandemic and the government has been in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a loan deal.
Saied relieved both the finance and economy minister and the communications and technologies minister, who is also acting agriculture and water resources minister from their positions, the presidency page on Facebook said on Monday.
Saied named Sihem Boughdiri to run the finance and economy ministry and Nizar ben Najy to run the communications and technologies ministry, the statement added.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Saied in a phone call that the continuation of the Tunisian Parliament’s work was important for the region, his office said, after Saied froze Parliament and dismissed his premier.
In a statement, Turkey’s presidency said Erdogan “emphasised that the Parliament of Tunisia ... maintaining operations despite all difficulties was important for the democracy of Tunisia and the region,” adding that the work of the Parliament was “vital.”
“Erdogan stated that it was very valuable for the democracy of Tunisia to be protected, for its freedoms to be guaranteed, and that the rule of is upheld,” it said.
