-c0ef701c-bef8-4fbe-b751-c5fe31a8f2df.jpeg)
Tunisia, September 16 (BNA) The official spokesman of the Tunisian government said on Friday that Tunisia hopes to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund by the end of October, after it considered the wage agreement agreed with the unions a major step towards obtaining the support of the International Monetary Fund. .
The government and the powerful Tunisian General Labor Union on Thursday signed an agreement to raise public sector wages by 5%, a move that could ease social tensions. But they did not announce any further agreement on the reforms needed to rescue the International Monetary Fund, Reuters reported.
The government’s official spokesman, Nasr El-Din Nusebi, said that “the Tunisian negotiating team made contact yesterday with the International Monetary Fund regarding the last terms of the agreement with the Fund.”
He added, “We are seeking to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund before the end of October, that will make Tunisia able to fulfill all its obligations, including providing food and energy products, paying wages and servicing debt.”
Credit rating agency Fitch said on Friday that the wage agreement in Tunisia increases the likelihood of a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
Tunisian officials said that Tunisia is targeting a $3 billion loan.
The International Monetary Fund has indicated that it will not go ahead with Tunisia’s rescue plan unless the government joins the Tunisian General Labor Union, which it says has more than a million members and previously shut down the economy in strikes.
Tunisia is struggling to revive its public finances with growing discontent with inflation that has reached nearly 9% and many food shortages in stores because the country cannot pay for some imports.
The International Monetary Fund and major foreign donors want Tunisia to press ahead with subsidy cuts and restructuring of state-owned companies, as well as steps to control the public sector wage bill.
M