LE BARDO, Feb. 5, 2010 (TAP) – Minister of Development and International Cooperation, Mohamed Nouri Jouini, said he was optimistic about the prospects of economic growth for 2010, which stand at 4 pc despite the forecast ongoing effects of the world crisis and the vulnerability of the growth process.

Taking the floor at the Chamber of Deputies which Thursday hosted a debate over the economic growth, large scale projects, employment and local development, the Minister indicated that the relevant presidential measures taken in due time permitted to reduce the impact of the world crisis on the national economy while keeping a positive 3.1 pc growth rate.

The economic growth, he pointed out, will be given a boost thanks to the investment, competitiveness, and export incentives set forth in the President of the Republic’s program 2009-2014 “Together We Meet  Challenges” platform.

He also explained that the openness of the national economy and its basic diversification will further strengthen the foundations of the development process, through drawing on the existing new technologies potentialities, enhancing domestic investment among young entrepreneurs, backing up the Tunisian businesses’ positioning in the strategic sectors, further attracting foreign investment, operating technological transfer and promoting green economy.

The Minister mentioned a study concerning 15 million dinars to be invested in a motorway project to interconnect all provinces nationwide.

Mr. Jouini namely mentioned the prospects for boosting Tunisia’s position within the Maghreb entity and on African and Asian markets.

With respect to large scale projects, he said that some of them had been launched like the “City Sport” project, the Financial Harbour project and that of the Telecommunications City.

The Minister said that because of the international crisis, the Sama Dubai Project was postponed but not cancelled. He announced that the Mdhillah 2nd chemical group will be completed in April 2011.

Furthermore, he pointed out, privatizing public firms has permitted increasing the employment capacity and enhancing these firms’ competiveness and productivity.

Chairing the session, Speaker Foued Mebazaa had underscored the importance of this debates insofar as, he explained, 2010 is to be marked by the implementation of the mobile plan aimed at carrying out the policy guidelines and qualitative goals of Tunisia’s development.