Tunis, Jan. 15 (TAP) - In its first meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Kamel Madouri, the Major Projects Committee decided on Wednesday to add a number of stalled public projects to the list of major projects and speed up the completion of a package of projects.

These include the construction of the Central Production Markets Platform and the Olympic Stadium in Menzah, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministry on Wednesday evening.

The first meeting of the Major Projects Committee focused on advancing public projects of national priority in light of the President of the Republic's recommendations to shorten procedures and accelerate the completion of public projects to meet the aspirations of the people and promote equitable and sustainable regional development.

It reviewed the status of a number of public projects in priority sectors, including sports, health, trade and infrastructure.

The Committee approved the inclusion of a number of projects in the list of major projects of a strategic nature or stalled major public projects, in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 497 of October 24, 2024 on the establishment of formulas and procedures for the implementation of major public projects, in order to ensure efficiency and feasibility requirements.

The Committee ordered the immediate start of the construction of the Central Production Markets Platform project, adopting the option of construction in functional parts. It instructed the Ministry of Finance to allocate and transfer an amount of 6 million dinars under the title of increasing the contribution of the Sidi Bouzid Regional Council to the capital of the project for the acquisition of 50 hectares allocated to this national project.

The project is part of the state's contribution to rehabilitate the distribution channels for agricultural and fishery products, support national food security and bring about a qualitative socio-economic change in Sidi Bouzid and neighbouring governorates, the statement said.

The Committee approved the reconstruction of the main building of the Hedi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax, at an estimated total cost of 103 million dinars, as well as the preparation of a financing plan and the encouragement of the completion of the necessary studies.

It also approved the acceleration of the procedures and measures necessary to make the Bir Ali Ben Khalifa Regional Hospital in Sfax fully operational in the shortest possible time, in order to ensure the provision of various health services for the benefit of the citizens of the region.

The Committee decided to initiate the necessary procedures for the reconstruction of the Olympic Stadium in Menzah with all its components in accordance with internationally accepted technical specifications and standards, and to work towards the actual start of the work during the second half of 2025.

It also ordered the transfer of the operation of the red meat complex in Ben Guerdane, which was created in 2023, as part of the agricultural and pastoral development project and related systems in Medenine at a total cost of 80.2 million dinars, to the Ellouhoum company. The aim is to further strengthen the company's management, obtain a return on the investment made and create the best conditions for the project's success.

The Committee recommended that the funds earmarked in the National Plan for the Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Slaughterhouses for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Ellouhoum Company's slaughterhouse be allocated within the budget of the Ministry of Trade and Export Development and ordered the immediate start of the necessary studies.

The committee called on the National Sanitation Utility to start work as soon as possible on connecting the Ben Guerdane Free Zone to the newly completed sewerage plant in the area and to complete the necessary procedures to obtain an investment grant for this project.

At the opening of the meeting, Madouri stressed the importance of redoubling the efforts of all public bodies to overcome logistical, technical, financial and real estate obstacles and difficulties in order to speed up the completion of projects, especially those of a strategic nature, and to enhance their role in creating employment opportunities and developing the national economy.

He recalled the integrated approach adopted, based on speeding up the simplification and digitalisation of administrative procedures, the elimination of a number of authorisations and the review of the regulatory framework relating to public tenders. This includes the evaluation and follow-up of the implementation of projects of national importance in accordance with the priorities of public policies to create a climate conducive to investment and free energies to revive the national economy.

Madouri chaired the first meeting of the Major Projects Committee, in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 497 of 2024 on the establishment of formulas and procedures for the implementation of major public projects, and the Prime Minister's Decision of November 25, 2024 on the approval of the Manual of Procedures for the Implementation of Major Public Projects.