Tunisia will not abandon its public companies and institutions, which are a national treasure," said President of the Republic Kais Saied during his visit to the National Cellulose and Esparto Paper Company (SNCPA) in Kasserine on Wednesday. These companies have been damaged since the late 1980s, especially in the early 2000s, the president told TAP. He cited numerous cases of corruption in appointments, contracts and spare parts. The Head of State stressed the need to save the company, pointing out that "those who do not take urgent measures have no place in the state. The first thing to do is to cleanse the factory of corruption and upgrade its equipment, which dates back to the 1980s." He reiterated that "no one can manipulate the will of Tunisian citizens. We must stand together to liberate Tunisia from the lobbies and the corrupt who only want evil for Tunisia." The President spoke of developing a rescue programme for state-owned companied facing financial difficulties. Referring to the issue of th e Kasserine region's entitlement to the dividends of growth and development, three of whose delegations are at the bottom of the scale of regional development indicators, namely Hassi Al Ferid, LaSyoune and Jdéliane, the President of the Republic voiced optimism about the future of the Council of Regions and Districts, which he said would empower the country's various regions to contribute actively to decision-making and to the management of their local affairs without waiting for the goodwill of central government. With regard to the public projects planned in the governorate of Kasserine that have not yet been implemented, the President of the Republic assured that the funds earmarked for the blocked projects had definitely been allocated for this purpose, denouncing the will of certain sides (without naming them) who are bent on maintaining the current situation. In this regard, President Saïed warned those who are stubbornly obstructing the completion of these blocked projects that they must assume full and complete responsibility for their conduct. During his unannounced visit to the governorate of Kasserine, the Head of State went straight to the headquarters of the the National Cellulose and Esparto Paper Company (SNCPA), the largest state-owned industrial company operating in the region. On this occasion, a crowd of citizens gathered in front of the company's headquarters. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse