Newsletter - Invest in Tunisia

www.investintunisia.tn
9:00 am - 4:00 pm Reception and registration
Program of the Carthage Investment Forum
Thursday 12 June, 2008
5:00 - 7:00 pm OPENING CEREMONY
Opening ceremony chaired by H.E Mr. Mohamed GHANNOUCHI, Tunisian Prime Minister
Speakers: Mr. Mohamed Nouri JOUINI, Minister of Development and International Cooperation
Mr. Hedi DJILANI, President of Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA)
Chairman of the Forum: Mr. Mohamed BEN SEDRINE, Executive Board Member of the Tunisian Union of
Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, UTICA.
Tunisia's sustainability as an attractive place for FDI, by Mr. Peter GRIMSDITCH, Editorial Director, Oxford
Business Group.
Awards ceremony
8:00 pm Gala dinner.
Friday 13 June, 2008
8:30 - 10:00 am
1 st SESSION
Integration in the Euromed zone: enhancing the attractiveness of Tunisia as an investment site
Guest of Honour: Mr. Ridha TOUITI, Minister of Trade and Handicraft
- The integrated market as an opportunity for greater attractiveness
- New opportunities created by the regional integration of Tunisia
- Impact of integration policies on the Tunisian economy
- Greater opportunities for partnership between Tunisian and foreign operators
- Better human resources, infrastructure, logistics, business climate and after-care.
Discussion
10:00- 10:30 am Coffee break
10:30- 11:30 am
2 nd SESSION
Manufacturing industries: a further step into high tech
Guest of Honour: Mr. Afif CHELBI, Minister of Industry, Energy and SMES
- The dynamics in the IMEE sector
- The emergence of the aeronautical components industry in Tunisia.
Discussion
11:30 - 12:30 pm
3 rd SESSION
Tunisia, a regional center for high added value services
Guest of Honour: Mr.Lazhar BOUOUNI, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and
Technology
- Tunisia, a first-class platform for nearshoring
- Development of high added value engineering
- Launching of competences centers and R&D units in Tunisia.
Discussion
1:00- 2:30 pm Lunch
3:00 - 6:00 pm NETWORKING
FIPA News May 2008
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NICT
Tunisia precedes Italy, Greece and
Poland
The Davos world report, published on April 9th
2008, has ranked Tunisia first in North Africa
and 35th in the world over a total of 127
countries in the field information technologies.
Tunisia has hence gained 5 places as compared
to the 2007 classification.
Tunisia precedes European countries like Italy,
Greece, Cyprus, Poland and Asian countries
such as China and India.
Europe remains a major actor of the networked
readiness, with 11 countries among the 20 first
of the classification. Apart from Denmark,
Sweden and Switzerland, above mentioned, we
find Finland (6 th ), the Netherlands (7 th ), Island
(8 th ), Norway (10 th ), the United Kingdom
(12 th ), Austria (15 th ), Germany (16 th ) and
Estonia (20 th ).
The report bases its classification on three
major elements: the political and economic
environment of the country, the level of
technological development and the extent to
which the NICT are used.
Published for the seventh consecutive year, the
report deals with a record number of 127
economies in the world. It now became the
most complete international reference for the
assessment of the impact of ICT on the
development process and the competitiveness
of the different countries.
Regional Integration
Opening of the first direct shipping
line between Tunisia and Morocco
The first merchant ship between Tunisia and
Morocco has heaved anchor on Friday, April 4 th
from the port of Rades to that of Casablanca.
This first travel aboard the Moroccan boat
“Fes”, a ship with a carrying capacity of 70 containers and 33
semi-trailers, opens the direct shipping line between Tunisia
and Morocco, after its launching early in April from Morocco.
The shipping line is jointly run by the private Moroccan water
carrier “International maritime transport corporation” (IMTC)
and the Tunisian company “Africa Marine Company” (AMC).
This shipping lane between the two countries, with on average
one cruise every 10 days, will allow to reduce the goods’
transit period from 15 days to less than 4 days, and will
dispense the ships from putting into European ports (Malta,
Marseilles, Valence).
According to the managers of both Tunisian and Moroccan
companies, the two carriers consider to run in the future a
larger ship in order to meet the requirements of the expected
growing commercial exchanges of goods on this line.
This line is an example of the cooperation between Tunisia and
Morocco in the private sector and will contribute to the growth
of commercial exchanges between the two countries. Experts
consider that these exchanges will improve in the next years,
not only on a bilateral basis but also in the Arab free-trade zone
and also in the framework of the Agadir
agreement.
This line will help promoting maritime transport and reinforce
the commercial exchanges in the North African area since it can
extend to the other ports of the region’s countries, namely those
of Libya, Algeria and Mauritania.
Labor Day 2008
Rise of the Smig*, the Smag**
and of the retirement pensions
On Labor day, the head of State has announced a rise of the
Smig and the Smag (May 1 st 2008). The government will define
the amount of the rise in agreement with the involved
professional organizations.
In 2007, the Smig of the different business sectors (48 hours
scheme) has risen by 8.528 dinars. The Smig reaches 239.824
dinars at present. As for the, in the 40 hours scheme, it
increased by 7.107 dinars. It is today of 207.828 dinars.
The minimum agricultural guaranteed wage (SMAG) has
increased during the same fiscal year by 250 millimes per day.
Today it is of 7.129 dinars per day. The SMAG of semiskilled
FIPA News May 2008
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agricultural workers is of 7.849 dinars and that of skilled agricultural workers is of 8.274 dinars per day.
Around 280 thousand workers benefited from these increases last year.
Besides, and in compliance with the retirement system reform implemented since 2001, the retirement pensions
belonging to the public plan of the social security fund (CNSS) will rise according to the same rate as that of the
minimum wage.
Translator’s note :
* Minimum inter-professional guaranteed wage
** Minimum agricultural guaranteed wage
European imports of clothing:
Tunisia 5th supplier
European imports of clothing
Country Rank 2006 2007 2007/2006
1 000 € % 1 000 € % %
EXTRAT-E27 55 496 842 100.0 57 813 567 100.0 4.2
China 1 18 887 563 34.0 21 791 866 37.7 15.4
Turkey 2 8 238 488 14.8 8 875 918 15.4 7.7
Bangladesh 3 4 614 576 8.3 4 363 662 7.6 -5.4
India 4 3 809 372 6.9 3 832 788 6.6 0.6
Tunisia 5 2 468 626 4.5 2 563 757 4.4 3.9
Morocco 6 2 367 720 4.3 2 513 805 4.4 6.2
Hong Kong 7 2 512 151 4.5 1 682 460 2.9 -33.0
Indonesia 8 1 413 463 2.6 1 193 054 2.1 -15.6
Vietnam 9 1 024 347 1.9 1 113 145 1.9 8.7
Sri Lanka 10 966 401 1.7 1 037 007 1.8 7.3
Pakistan 11 906 922 1.6 900 282 1.6 -0.7
Thailand 12 878 833 1.6 794 636 1.4 -9.6
Switzerland 13 532 253 1.0 608 490 1.1 14.3
Cambodia 14 552 166 1.0 513 925 0.9 -6.9
Mauritius 15 483 492 0.9 471 942 0.8 -2.4
Macedonia 16 345 998 0.6 454 693 0.8 31.4
Egypt 17 379 773 0.7 411 334 0.7 8.3
Croatia 18 382 176 0.7 379 882 0.7 -0.6
Ukraine 19 419 769 0.8 368 394 0.6 -12.2
USA 20 371 827 0.7 360 556 0.6 -3.0
Tunisia- Germany
16 new companies
2007 has been a particularly fruitful year in terms of direct investments carried out by German companies in
Tunisia. The German investment volume has thus almost doubled, rising from 19 million dinars in 2006 to 40.5
million dinars in 2007.
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16 new companies with a global investment volume of 8.7
million dinars have been set up and 18 already existing ones
were enlarged for a value of 31.8 million dinars, according to
the data collected by the Tunisian-German Chamber of
Industry and commerce (CTAIC). Around 610 new jobs were
created in 2007 by the newly established companies and
almost 1000 jobs thanks to companies’ expansion.
Tunisia is Germany’s 3rd supplier and the first importer of
German products in the region. As for Germany, it is the 3rd
trade partner of Tunisia with a share of 7.9% in the global
volume of Tunisian imports and exports.
Tunisia –France
A new joint venture
in engineering service provision
The French company Altran has announced on Wednesday
April 30th the signature of a letter of intent in order to create
a common company with the Tunisian company Telnet in the
field of engineering service provision. This newborn will be
based in Tunis and will have its operating unit in Sfax. “By
bringing Telnet’s competencies closer to those of Altran, this
joint venture will allow to provide Altran (a European leader
in consulting and innovation) and its customers with top
quality services, as demonstrated by the CMMI 5 certification
that Telnet obtained. This newly created company also aims
at developing engineering services professions in Tunisia and
in neighbouring countries, and at becoming the leader in
North Africa” as explained in the group’s release. The new
company considers employing around 300 persons by 2010 in
Tunisia.
Altran, a group founded in 1982 is involved in technology
consulting and innovation (about half the turnover),
organization and information system consulting (one third of
the turnover) and strategy and management consulting.
In 2007, the group’s turnover has reached 1,591.4 millions
euros, with more than 17.000 consultants in 20 countries.
Founded in 1994, Telnet is a company of engineering in high
technologies specialized in imbedded system development,
electronic design and mechanical CAD in the fields of
telecommunication, multimedia, aviation technology,
defence, automotive engineering and transport, security,
microchips, industry and automation. It employs today 300
engineers and achieves the bulk of its externalized R&D
activities for European motor vehicle equipment
manufacturers.
Competence Center
Cisco is planning to make of Tunisia
a regional Hub for North Africa.
The American company Cisco, a provider of
network solutions for internet, has organized on
April 22nd its “Cisco Expo 2008” in Tunis.
The choice of the Tunisian capital to host this
event as well as the next stages of this provider’s
activity development were among the main
topics of the press conference, that the company
managers held along with the event.
Present in the region of the Middle East for
several years, the company expresses more and
more interest for Tunisia. According to Zied
Mortaja, Regional General Manager of Cisco for
the Middle East, North Africa and the Orient,
the organization of the Expo in Tunis, is one
more step to make of this site “the Hub for all
our activities in the region of North Africa and
the African continent”. Cisco intends reinforcing
its presence in the country by opening a new
office which according to Adel Dahmani “will
emphasize our event for Cisco in Tunisia”.
Without giving figures for this new investment,
Adel Dahmani declared that “this new
Competence center in Tunisia will allow Cisco to
make of Tunisia a Hub to cover other countries
of the region in order to export our know-how”.
Zied Mortaja expressed his satisfaction with the
level of competencies in the company’s fields of
activity. He added that “Cisco has 11 Cisco
Networking Academy centers in Tunisia, one of
which is based in the technology pole El
Ghazala. Tunisia holds the necessary ingredients
to create an ICT industry and we will
concentrate more on the training and
certification of engineers ”With a turnover
growth by 50% last year, the Cisco Tunis office
is planning to intensify its involvement with
local telephone operators. For the managers of
this American company which achieves a
turnover of 5 billion dollars “Tunisia remains a
major source of growth for the company in the
North African area”.
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Textile
The Italian group Martinelli Ginetto
invests in Tunisia
According to the Technical Centre for Textile
(Cettex), The group Martinelli Ginetto, leader in
the production of lice and jacquard clothes, for
household linen and furniture has decided to
invest in Tunisia and to create by the end of
2008 a spinning and weaving unit.
Named Magimed, the new unit will be
established in the industrial zone of Meghira
(governorate of Ben Arous) and will cover a
surface of 4 hectares.
The amount invested in this project goes
beyond 35.6 million dinars. Besides, it will be
achieved in 3 stages and will create around 400
jobs.
Magimed will produce threads and textile
fabrics of wool, cotton, viscose, silk…Its annual
production capacity will reach 2,600 tons for the
spinning and 3.4 million meters for the weaving.
Perfecting competencies
A village for a better command of
foreign languages
In order to face the growing international
demand for Tunisian technical competencies
with a good command of languages, a village
will soon be created in Tunisia to improve the
mastery of foreign languages. The main mission
of this village is to organize training sessions for
foreign language students and for the public.
The objective is to develop the competencies of
higher education graduates in the different
areas of expertise to meet the requirements of
the labour market in a context of a country
open to the regional and international economic
environment.
So far recognized for their mastery of French
and English, the Tunisian graduates will open
up to Italian, German, and Spanish as well as to
other languages.
Sealynx Automotive produces in Tunisia for
Renault and Citoren
Usine Nouvelle has reported in its online edition of April 11 th
that the trade union of Sealynx Automotive factory, in
Charleval in the region of Eure (France) and which includes
840 employees in the sector of manufacturing joints for
automobiles (glasses...) has eventually agreed to transfer of
two productions to Tunisia.
These productions concern the joints of two commercial
vehicles, one of them belonging to the brand Renault and the
other is marked Citroën.
The offshore regime exports more and the public
regime imports more
The firs quarter of the year 2008 ended with 5,820.9 M TND of
export revenues. Tunisian exportation (value expressed in
TND) has hence progressed by 21.6% compared to the figures
recorded in the same period of the previous year. However, it
is interesting point out that offshore companies’ exports were
more important, even if they progressed only by 13.2 %
whereas local companies belonging to the public regime have
progressed by 35.4%. With this rise, the sales of offshore
companies have brought in 3,371.2 M TND as against 2,449.7
M TND for local companies. However, the latter have
imported more, much more. The imports of companies under
the public regime have indeed reached 4,797.1 M TND,
compared to 2,027 M TND for the offshore companies, of
which imports have much less progressed (1.7%) than those of
the public regime (34.8 %).
By the end of 2007, Tunisia totals 2800 companies operating
under the offshore regime
Acknowledgement
Tunisia a remarkable model
of harmonious development
Speaking in the forum of l’Economiste Maghrébin on Friday
April 11th 2008 in Tunis, Jean-François Limantour,
President of the CEDITH, has considered Tunisia as a very
attractive site for production and sourcing, and a remarkable
model of harmonious social and economic development.
He believes that Tunisia is a wonderful host country for direct
foreign investments. He was sorry that foreign investors do
not take full advantage of “the extraordinary human potential
of the Mediterranean south shore, a potential of intelligence,
of know-how and of high level technological specialization ".
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