Tunis Africa News Agency
Tunisian officials searched for three ministerial portfolios and a delegation from the World Bank developed an action plan to maintain sustainable food security and focus the necessary mechanisms to resist successive drought seasons and support farmers.
The Tunisian Ministry of Finance revealed in a statement that the meeting was attended by, on the Tunisian side, Minister of Finance and the one in charge of running the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Siham Al-Boughdiri, Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Abdel Moneim Belaati, and Minister of Trade and Export Development, Kulthum Ben Rajab, and advisor to the Prime Minister, Samia Al-Sharafi.
The World Bank delegation participating in the meeting was headed by the Bank’s Director of Sustainable Development in North Africa and the Middle East, Maskaram Prahan.
The meeting reviewed aspects of cooperation between Tunisia and the World Bank in the field of confronting the repercussions of climate change on major agricultural sectors, especially the grain system, and the prospects for joint cooperation, according to what the ministry reported.
On August 9, 2023, Tunisia officially ratified a loan agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank Group, allowing it to mobilize 130 million US dollars, or approximately 400 million Tunisian dinars, to finance the urgent intervention project for food security.
The World Bank granted the loan to Tunisia on July 4, 2023, provided that it repays it over 18 years, including 5 years of grace, with an interest rate of 1.71 percent, according to data from the Ministry of Economy and Planning.