Tunis: The 'Aftercare' programme, designed to support and assist foreign companies in Tunisia, was the focus of a workshop themed "Aftercare programme, lessons learned and 1st results" held on Wednesday in Tunis, in the margins of Tunisia Investment Forum 'TIF 2024,' organised at the initiative of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA). Supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, the 'Aftercare' programme consists of proactively contacting foreign companies established in Tunisia, with a view to facilitating their expansion operations, even before they encounter difficulties, FIPA Managing Director Jalel Tebib told TAP. He pointed out that 80% of foreign investment in Tunisia stems from operations carried out by companies already established in Tunisia. 'The aim of the programme, which began in 2019, is to target opportunities for expansion in Tunisia, even before any difficulties arise, based on target criteria such as turnover, investment cost, expo rt amount,' he said. A pilot test of the programme targeted the automotive industry, a sector of interest to foreign companies in Tunisia, he pointed out, adding that an initial potential list of over 200 companies meeting the criteria had been drawn up. The Aftercare programme will be extended to other sectors, including the aeronautical industry, the official specified. According to FIPA figures, the Tunisian market includes more than 3,862 foreign companies. They represent a major part of the national economic landscape, totalling investment of some TND 40,229 million and generating more than 450,000 direct jobs, many of them specialising in the automotive and aeronautical components industries, the digital sector, the agri-food industry, the pharmaceutical industry and services, as well as other economic sectors. The year 2023 saw the creation of 638 investment operations worth over TND 1,916.3 million, including 520 investment operations in the form of expansion projects and 118 new projects. Sourc e: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse