The government is called upon to repay the sum of 3,000 million dinars for bond loans issued on the international market in February 2017, said Finance Minister Sihem Namsia during a hearing session held on Wednesday by the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee. During the session dedicated to "the draft law exceptionally authorising the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) to grant facilities to the Treasury", the minister explained that the recourse to the BCT is intended to finance this debt, which is due on February 16. The bill will allow the issuing institution to grant advances to the government if necessary, she added. According to the minister, Tunisia will have to repay a public debt of nearly 25,797 million dinars in 2024, including 7,111 million dinars in the first quarter of 2024, knowing that the state's financing needs amount to 28,188 million dinars. "Despite these constraints, Tunisia is determined to fulfil its commitments before the deadline. It will rely on its own resources in order to preserve its national sovereignty," said Namsia, adding that discussions are underway with donors "but may not lead to a result in the first quarter of 2024". The minister emphasised that her government was finding it difficult to raise foreign financial resources, but that it was determined to diversify its sources of funding while respecting the law. During the hearing, which was also attended by the governor of the BCT, deputies stressed the importance of finding other financing alternatives, namely the promotion of value-added investments, the restructuring of the phosphate sector in Tunisia, the integration of the informal sector into the formal economy and the amendment of the foreign exchange law. On the other hand, the deputies warned against the negative impact of this draft law on the purchasing power of Tunisians and on inflation. At the end of the session, the parliamentary committee decided to continue examining the draft law, which was approved by the Cabinet on January 25. This draft provi des for the approval of an exceptional authorisation for the BCT to grant loans to the Treasury of 7 billion dinars, repayable over a period of 10 years without interest and with a three-year grace period. This amount will be used to finance part of the budget deficit for the 2024 financial year. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse