Larayedh: Government has taken measures avoided by its predecessors

Interim Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Wednesday afternoon that his government has taken a series of measures that former governments had avoided, like the reform of the compensation system. Larayedh, who was speaking at the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) plenary session on the draft budget for 2014, underlined that "some structural reforms require a period of five years not a year and a half." He highlighted the "need to inform citizens of the real potential of the country at a time when Tunisia is called to take bold measures to reform the compensation system and essentially energy subsidy." The prime minister spoke of a number of reforms, while singling out "the media which have not mentioned them, such as the preparation of the law on public-private partnership in investment in renewable energy. He admitted the existence of difficulties in the implementation of regional development projects, essentially due to the "malfunctioning of regional administrations, land problems or lack of entrepreneurs," noting that priority has been given in regions to restoring security. Responding to deputies' questions, Minister of Finance Elyes Fakhfakh said the 2014 budget aims to preserve the general financial balances of Tunisia while establishing the principle of equity between the different components of the society. He stressed the efforts made to combat tax evasion, as part of a comprehensive reform of the tax system. The government, which has maintained the same amount earmarked to compensation (5,000 MTD), seeks, according to Fakhfakh, to streamline the debt rate and recruitment in the public service. He added that the government will hire nearly 18,700 employees in 2014, with the retirement of 10,100 people, against 73 thousand employees recruited (for 27 thousand retirees) in the period between 2011 and 2012.