Tunisia successful in clamping down on terrorism

The Tunisian Government has been largely successful in clamping down on terrorism and is mapping out a strategy to deal with Tunisians fighting in Syria, said Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa. Jomaa, in an interview with the national television, aired late on Monday, said security conditions across the country have been improving, indicating greater coordination among the state security apparatuses to face terrorism. "The Tunisian State has succeeded in confronting great challenges posed by the terrorist groups, namely undermining the State," Jomaa said. As to Tunisians fighting in Syria, the premier said they "pose a real threat to the country security," adding that the government was working out a strategy "to confront this problem." Authorities are seeking to regulate activities and services at mosques, he said, hinting at displeasure with performance and rhetoric by some radical Islamic activists who control up to 149 mosques in Tunisia. He also rejected transforming them into "places for intellectual terrorism, for the mosques are solely for worship." At the political level, the government is proceeding with implementation of the "road map," which had been agreed upon within framework of the national dialogue, he said, noting that among the priorities were holding free elections, resisting terrorism and shoring up the ailing economy. The government used to invest up to USD 4.3 billion, including 1.8 billion in development, but "these investments have been on hold since three years ago thus our mission has turned harder, and instead of investing we have been consuming." Moreover, the prime minister added that state debts amount to 50 percent of the gross domestic product. Government subsidies have grown, between 2010 and 2013, by 270 percent, while salaries and wages are consuming up to 60 percent of the state budget.