Tunisia
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Tunisia unveils 2027 budget with startup funds and energy incentives
- 2027 State Budget and Enterprise Debt: The draft 2027 Finance Bill sets state expenditure at TND 68.895 billion (up 8.37%) against revenue of TND 54.280 billion, leaving a TND 14.615 billion deficit and TND 26.722 billion in borrowing needs. To ease pressure on public services, the state proposes assuming the end-2026 pension debts owed to the National Pension and Social Welfare Fund (CNRPS) by four public entities, including national railway operator SNCFT and Tunis transport company Transtu.
- Startup, SME, and Tech Incentives: Under the 2027 budget proposals managed by the Tunisian Solidarity Bank, the National Employment Fund will allocate TND 10 million in interest-free participatory loans to strengthen the equity of labelled startups and TND 5 million in preferential loans for student and vocational entrepreneurs through 2028. The bill also eliminates customs duties and VAT on electricity storage batteries, cuts import duties to 10% on solar panels and smartphones, and removes duties entirely on electronic payment terminals.
- Olive Oil and Agricultural Financing: The Tunisian Banking and Financial Council (CBF) reported that bank financing for the 2025-2026 olive oil and date season exceeded a record TND 3.3 billion, up more than 50% from TND 2.2 billion the previous season. Allocations included TND 1.9 billion for exporters, TND 1.1 billion for olive mill owners, TND 202 million for the National Oil Office, and TND 46 million for small-scale farmers.
- Kasserine Phosphate Engineering Deal: Tunisian engineering group Studi International signed a 24-month memorandum of understanding with Australian-listed developer Phosco to serve as preferred engineering adviser for the 166.6-million-tonne Gasaat phosphate project in Kasserine. Studi International will also invest approximately A$1.4 million for a 1.7% equity stake in Phosco as the developer targets production by mid-2028.
- Battery Manufacturing and Export Headwinds: Tunisian battery maker ASSAD maintained a gross margin above 40% during the first nine months of 2026 despite total revenue falling 20.2% year-on-year to TND 64 million. Resilient domestic sales of TND 42.6 million (up 0.6%) helped cushion a 43.5% drop in exports to TND 21.4 million caused by import regulations affecting its Algerian subsidiary.