Tunisia: a success story that turns into a nightmare

This pulpit tells of the difficulties faced by a foreign businessman, who runs the shipyard in El Haouaria, in Cap Bon, northeast Tunisia, whose production is entirely for export, to run our country. If we want to understand why foreign direct investment is declining every year in our country, we should not look far: it is a stupid management that prevents economic recovery, as explained in the article below.

via Aslan Bergib *

I hesitated a lot before writing this post, but it’s way too much! In front of the closed doors and the violent silence of the silent administration, I must ring alarm bells.

The facts: a foreign company that is part of a leading global shipping group (Haco Shipyard, editor’s note), present in Tunisia since 2014 and producing luxury boats in El Haouaria at a rate of 4 units per week intended exclusively for export to four corners of the planet: do you realize … Boats “Made in Tunisia”Made by Tunisian hands sailing on the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and New Caledonia on the American Pacific coast: what a pride!

incomprehensible blockage

Let’s go back to our sad reality: For more than two weeks, the company has simply been prevented from moving forward with the export of its pontoons, a ban that was never notified in writing and even less stimulated by the authorities.

Because of this incomprehensible blockage, today 8 export buoys are waiting in the port of Sidi Daoud, 20 in the park at the factory awaiting launch and 9 in the assembly line scheduled to leave in the coming days (1 every two days). The pictures speak for themselves: finished pontoons waiting for delivery like ordinary goods that did not find anyone to take them …

At this point, production should be stopped because there is no space to stop them, and 250 employees are put on temporary layoffs pending a request by authorities at all levels to adapt to provide an explanation, an answer, a solution. The success story Turn into a nightmare!

We reached out to all stakeholders, and sent very urgent messages to all levels of management: No reaction! Not even a message waiting for a call!
I will not mention the required departments and ministries: they will get to know each other.

I will not limit the harm caused by such a decision on the microeconomic scale to society either: it is colossal, infinite, innumerable …

I will mention only one important result: at the beginning of the year this company received a certificate of deposit of an investment declaration for the realization of a new project of national interest in the total amount of 22 million euros for the construction of an integrated industrial complex for the manufacture of boats designed and manufactured entirely in Tunisia, the Tunisian experience so far is considered successful. The head of the group spent two days in Tunis at the beginning of the week and did not succeed in meeting any officials despite sending in hearing requests early.

The result was not long: the group’s decision to completely abandon the project of the national interest!

In less than 10 days, he destroyed the relationship of trust that had developed over 7 long years: Bravo! Good job, ladies and gentlemen!

Who will stop the bleeding?

Are we sure we want to attract investment and restore confidence in the various economic actors?

Let’s begin with the preservation and reassurance of the reckless few, who are still there and who still believe in them: they are the ones who will attract new investors as good ambassadors far more effective than seminars, conferences, exhibitions, joint commissions, and visits by official delegations. , advertisements with great fanfare, etc…

On the other hand, those who leave would immediately warn potential investors against investing in a country where legislative and regulatory instability, arbitrariness, and where they are ultimately unwelcome!

I dare not imagine that our managers will continue to watch this bleeding without reacting and without giving shock treatment to a brain-dead patient Tunisia…

Shall we not say that Tunisia is a country of all miracles that are protected by its healthy people and its stationed people? We pray to keep doing this…

* Business attorney.

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Tunisia: foreign investment continues to decline

Testimony: The daily setbacks of the foreign investor in Tunisia