Tunisia’s GNP and social indicators have risen steadily since independence. In the past three decades, per capita GNP has risen from 952 Dinars in 1986 to 3798 Dinars in 2006.

Tunisia has enjoyed an average growth rate of 05 percent since 1987. Furthermore, even with the world debt crisis, Tunisia has managed to reduce its total debt burden. During the last few years, international financial institutions have frequently cited Tunisia as “a model for success” in economic structural adjustment.

The principal Tunisian exports are crude oil, minerals, manufactured goods, and agricultural products, including its internationally renowned olive oil. Tourism is also a significant source of revenues and hard currency. Tunisia’s primary trading partners are France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Maghreb countries.

Tunisia, a competitive investment site

Tunisia’s thriving economy creates an attractive environment for investors from the European Community, Japan and the United States. More than 2,700 foreign firms have direct investments in or joint ventures with Tunisian companies. Many of these firms were attracted by Tunisia’s proximity and preferential trading relations with the European Community and the Arab Maghreb Union, as well as by the Investment Code which offers tax and customs concessions to foreign investors, and facilitates project approval.

The last Global Competitiveness Report 2006-07, released by the World Economic Forum , ranked Tunisia 30th out of 125 developed and emerging countries in terms of Global competitiveness and 26th in terms of business competitiveness. A real success story, Tunisia has the most competitive economy in Africa and the Arab World.

Tunisia has fulfilled good scores but also some less good ones. It holds the first places at the global level in certain sub-categories: 3rd in terms of “the government’s expense” after Singapore and Iceland, 4th in matter of “the government acquisition of technological products” after Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan, 5th in agricultural politics cost after New Zealand, Zambia, Malaysia and Indonesia, 11th concerning “the quality of the education system”, 10th in the category of “the favouritism in governmental civil servant decisions”, after New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Singapore, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland and before all other developed countries including France and the United States.

Access to the European Union Market: Tunisia was the first country on the southern rim of the Mediterranean to sign (in 1995) an association and a free trade agreement with the European Union .This agreement provides for a free trade zone and access to the EU market.

Tunisian industrial made products entering Europe are thus entirely exempt from duty and levis as well as quotas.

Tunisia is a Member of the WTO since 1994 (Founding Member).Tunisia is also a preferred site for investors looking to tap in the sub-Saharan and Arab markets. It has signed the folowing preferential agreements:
A regional agreement setting up an Arab free- trade zone ,
The Agadir free trade zone involves Jordan , Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia,
Bilateral agreements introducing free-trade zones with Turkey, Egypt Jordan, Iraq and Libya.

High level skills at competitive costs

Tunisia has always given a priority to the development of the human resources:
Education is compulsory for boys and girls aged 6 to 16 and free at all levels including universities.
57 % of the new job-seekers are university graduates;
Vocational training: 343 centers and 56.000 trainees a year;
Tunisian engineers are acknowledged to be of an international level;
High education is increasingly oriented towards information technologies.

Improved Infrastructure :

Tunisia has seven international airports. Some 100 foreign airline companies run more than 1.300 weekly flights. A new airport to be build with a capacity of 30 million passengers .The maritime infrastructure is made up of six commercial ports.
Fully digitized telecommunication network and modern products and services: data transmission, Internet, specialized lines, videotext, etc.

Liberal Investment framework :

Investment is free ;
100% capital ownership for foreigners ;
Free transfer of profits and capital;
Same advantages for foreign investors as nationals.

A favourable legal and institutional framework:

Setting-up companies at a one-stop-shop (ISO 9002);
A private Limited Companies “SARL” or a Limited liability Company “SA” needs one to two days to be set up;
Industrial Exporting Companies: simple customs clearance procedures and customs formalities within the company premises;

Supporting institutions :

FIPA : Foreign Investment Promotion Agency
CEPEX : Export Promotion Center
API : Agence de la Promotion de l’Investissement.