The Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Abid, held, Wednesday December 24, 2025, a working session with the presidents of the chambers of commerce and industry, in the presence of the directors general of these structures as well as the CEO of the Export Promotion Center (Cepex).
On this occasion, the minister underlined the strategic role of the chambers in supporting the economic fabric, developing investment and supporting national efforts in promoting exports and opening up to new foreign markets. He recalled that they constitute an essential link between economic operators and the administration, in particular through the provision of economic information, supervision and different forms of support.
Samir Abid, in this context, called for a qualitative leap in the functioning of chambers of commerce and industry, by establishing a new dynamic and modern working methods, adapted to current requirements. He insisted on the need to go beyond the classic role of these structures in favor of a more evolved role, guaranteeing greater efficiency and impact in the service of promoting Tunisian products abroad.
The minister also urged the chambers to become a real force of proposal in the development of their action programs, taking into account regional specificities, while formulating concrete proposals likely to strengthen the presence of Tunisian products and services on international markets and accelerate the pace of exports.
Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination between the different chambers, calling for the creation of operational cores within each chamber for the exchange of information and expertise, as well as for the joint preparation of exploratory missions and trips of business leaders, with a view to pooling international promotion efforts.
A large part of the session was devoted to examining the mechanisms available for the promotion of olive oil and dates, considered strategic products for Tunisia on foreign markets. The minister gave instructions to give priority to the promotion of these two sectors, through reinforced support to exporting companies, in order to facilitate their access to foreign markets, particularly markets with high potential, while continuing at the same time the promotion of other sectors, export being a continuous activity throughout the year.
The meeting also allowed the minister to listen to the concerns of chambers of commerce and industry, in particular those related to the administrative and professional situation of their agents, as well as the organizational and management methods of these structures. Samir Abid indicated that several issues relating to governance and operation had been examined.
For their part, the presidents of the chambers and the general directors exposed the main difficulties hindering their activities, in particular those linked to transport, financing, as well as certain organizational constraints.
S.H
