The president of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce and Crafts (Utica), Samir Majoul, called, during a meeting, Thursday, November 20, 2025, with a delegation from the World Bank, for the creation of a foreign currency financing line intended to support the internationalization of Tunisian companies and to strengthen their presence on foreign markets, we read in a press release from the employers’ organization.
This visit is part, according to the same source, as part of the joint technical mission led by a delegation from the World Bank, dedicated to monitoring the implementation of the project “Support for the economic recovery of small and medium-sized businesses” and the project “Support for start-ups and innovative SMEs”, scheduled from November 17 to 21, 2025.
After reviewing the level of recourse by Tunisian companies to the $120 million credit line granted by the World Bank in 2023, the two parties examined avenues for optimizing its effectiveness and maximizing its benefits for the benefit of the national economy.
This mechanism was, remember, designed to support the project to support small and medium-sized businesses for economic recovery.
During this meeting, the president of Utica and the World Bank delegation also addressed the challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses as well as the means to support them, stimulate their capacity for innovation and help them keep pace with technological developments.
Discussions also focused on the upcoming implementation of the European carbon tax and the preparation of the Tunisian industrial sector for the requirements of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAF). The two parties notably assessed the degree of preparation of companies in the face of these major regulatory transformations, the press release added.
Samir Majoul, on this occasion, reiterated Tunisia’s commitment to the transition to a low-carbon economy and the continuation of its efforts in terms of investment in the green economy and consolidation of energy sovereignty, warning, however, against the impact that new restrictions could have on Tunisian exports. This risks, in fact, further weakening the economic fabric and reducing the competitiveness of national companies, according to the same source.
In this context, the meeting focused on strengthening the partnership between Utica and the World Bank in order to further support SMEs and contribute to the development of effective strategies for sustainable economic recovery in Tunisia.
NJ
