Tunisia Central Bank Governor, Marouan Abassi said the country would reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund in the coming weeks on a loan estimated between $2 to $4 billion that would span over three years.
Tunisia, which is suffering its worst financial crisis, is seeking to secure an IMF loan to save public finances from collapse.
Abassi who disclosed this while speaking to newsmen said, “The size is still under negotiation and I think it will be between $2 billion and $4 billion, we hope to reach a staff-level deal in the coming weeks.
Recall that the government and the powerful UGTT union last week signed a deal to boost public sector wages by 5%, a step that may ease social tensions. But they did not announce any further agreement on reforms needed for an IMF bailout.
Abassi added that the wage deal was an important step for negotiations with the IMF and will give a clear view of wages’ weight in GDP in coming years.
In his words, “It will give us a clear vision about the wage mass that is expected to decline in the coming years”.