https://newtunisian.com/en/tunisia/National news, politics, economy, and securityenhttps://newtunisian.com/en/tunisia/<ul> <li><strong>Digital economy and startups</strong>: Tunisia Digital Summit opened in Tunis on 22-23 April with more than 2,500 expected participants, bringing together government, firms and startups around digital transformation, AI and services modernisation. The event matters for business because it lands alongside an active state digital pipeline that includes e-invoicing, online tax services, remote vehicle-tax payment and wider digitisation of health, education and transport administration.</li> <li><strong>Public-service tech rollout</strong>: Tunisia says 20 public digital projects were completed in the first quarter of 2026 and 121 more are under way out of a 192-project national pipeline. For households and companies, that points to a gradual shift from paper-heavy procedures towards faster tax, licensing and service access, though delivery will matter more than announcements.</li> <li><strong>Energy costs and subsidy pressure</strong>: The latest official energy data show Tunisia’s structural energy gap is still weighing on the budget and on future pricing decisions. In January 2026, the average cost of electricity remained well above the selling price, natural gas was also sold below cost, and domestic crude output fell 12% year on year, leaving the state exposed to import dependence and raising the risk of further pressure on public finances and consumer bills.</li> <li><strong>Infrastructure execution</strong>: Tunisia is pushing ahead with a large 2026 road-building and maintenance programme centred on 16 new projects worth about 2.8 billion dinars, alongside 80 ongoing projects valued at 4.2 billion dinars. The economic importance is practical: road quality, logistics and regional access affect construction, freight, commuting and investment, but officials also acknowledge delays from financing constraints, utility-network relocation and shortages of some building materials.</li> <li><strong>Investment climate</strong>: Tunisia is still targeting stronger investment inflows in 2026, with official planning built around roughly 4 billion dinars of FDI and more weight on higher-value sectors including the digital economy. That ambition is meaningful, but the near-term business environment remains tied to whether the state can execute infrastructure works, reduce administrative friction and contain energy-sector losses without passing too much cost to firms and households.</li> </ul>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:05:47 +0000https://newtunisian.com/en/tunisia/#2026-04-24T180547