Fakhfakh: ‘Tunisia's public enterprises on verge of collapse’

Elyes Fakhfakh, Tunisia’s resigning prime minister, warned on Thursday of the imminent bankruptcy of public corporations due to financial problems.

Fakhfakh announced in a statement on Thursday to Express FM that public financial conditions have reached an unprecedented level, especially due to the financial burden of the coronavirus, which has so far reached five billion dinars ($1.8 billion), expressing that the state must provide around 11 billion dinars ($3.9 billion).

He added that: “Public firms are on the verge of collapse and the economic situation is in a state of turmoil.” Fakhfakh predicted that motor vehicle and aircraft sectors will decline by 20-30 per cent, along with an expected rise in the unemployment rate.

Fakhfakh declared his resignation during the middle of the month due to suspicions of conflicts of interest. His government has become an interim government, as President Kais Saied is holding political negotiations in order to propose an alternative candidate to form a new government.

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