“We have full confidence in the ability of Tunisians to ensure proper functioning of their economy, and our factory Aerolia Tunisia is an important element of aircraft programmes in which it participates...” thus remarked Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS when recently asked about the Group’s investment in Tunisia.
EADS (The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV) is a global leader, which also includes Airbus, in aerospace, defence and related services, employing nearly 135,000 people at over 170 sites worldwide. Aerolia Tunisia located in M'Ghira, in the south of Tunis, presently employs 600 persons and is projected to go up to 750 personnel by 2015.
Foreign investors started considering Tunisia since 1972. At that time Tunisia was the first Arab and African country to put into effect a law encouraging foreign companies to establish industrial facilities in Tunisia. The main objective of the 1972 April Law was to implement a Tunisian industry export oriented legislation in order to encourage the creation of new jobs and to help the development of Tunisia not only through agriculture and tourism but also through industry.
Since those early times when the Tunisian economy was opened to foreign direct investment Maltese entrepreneurs were among the first foreign investors to take up the opportunities presented by the than “new” Tunisian industrial structure. Today there are 11 Maltese-owned companies operating in Tunisia contributing to the employment of 966 workers mainly related to operations in the textile clothing sector and also with presence in the mechanical, leather, consultancy and tourism segments.
Presently Tunisia is a hosting location for companies coming from 63 countries with the major three countries mostly represented in the Tunisian foreign investment segment being France, Italy, and Germany with 1,200, 800 and 280 companies respectively. Automotive components, electrical and electronically devices, clothing and textile, shoes and leather are the main sectors to attract the most exclusive FDI (Foreign Direct Investment).
In 1995 the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, FIPA-Tunisia, was set up as a public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Development and International Cooperation with the principal task of providing all the support needed by foreign investors and that of promoting foreign investment in Tunisia.
“Surprisingly enough in 2011 immediately following the 27-day Sidi Bouzid Revolt, or as these events were dubbed by the western media the Jasmine Revolution, a record number of foreign business delegations visited Tunisia to assess the post-revolution investment environment and to learn more about the ‘new’ investment opportunities the ‘new’ Tunisia was generating. Yes, then we had several English, French, Italian, Australian, Malaysian and Russian business delegations,” explains Mokhtar Chouari, FIPA-Tunisia International Marketing director and head of a 20-man business delegation which a few days ago paid a four-day visit to Malta.
Over the past two years FIPA-Tunisia has been conducting a series of business missions to countries like Canada, the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, China, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. The objective of such visits is “to bring back Tunisia into the fold” of the international business community, re-establish relationships with old partners and restore any “damaged image” Tunisia could have had.
In such spirit materialised the FIPA-Tunisia Malta visit of a few days ago which as affirmed by Souad Gueblaoui, Ambassador of Tunisia in Malta, was meant “to further discuss with Maltese business community the means and ways to develop joint business initiatives based on a concrete win-win approach”. This declaration was made at the main activity of the visit, a Tunisian Business Forum, held in collaboration with Malta Enterprise and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.
Since the Jasmine Revolution four Maltese business delegations visited Tunisia but the recent FIPA-Tunisia visit was the first opportunity since 2011 that such a large group of Tunisian businessmen came to Malta. A visit endorsed by the four most important economic and trade agencies in Tunisia, namely the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), the Tunisia Export Centre, The Tunisian Union for Industry Trade and Handicraft (UTICA) and the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (APIA).
The day forum also served to launch the first meeting of the Tunisian Maltese Business Council created two years ago. On the occasion the respective chairpersons of the Tunisian and Maltese members on the Council, Adel Boujemaa and Simon Alden, addressed the Forum campaigning a common undertaking to join their efforts in order to enhance an effective economic and commercial partnership between Malta and Tunisia. Other local speakers on the day were David G. Curmi and Klaus Pederson, president and International manager respectively of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and Clive Brockdorff, manager Institutional Affairs of Malta Enterprise.
“Following the FIPA-Tunisia visit an immediate optimistic and constructive outcome is most evident,” confirmed Ambassador Gueblaoui.
“A number of productive meetings held during this visit also created the opportunity for the Tunisian businessmen to assess prices and types of products available in Malta where there is a great potential that certain products Tunisia currently imports from others sources could eventually be bought from Malta while certain products would be bought from Tunisia by local businessmen. Such arrangements are related to prices and quality,” remarked the Tunisian Ambassador.
Referring to the investment opportunities available in Tunisia Mokhtar Chouari, FIPA-Tunisia International Marketing director said: “Agriculture and agribusiness sectors can be considered as an opportunity for Maltase entrepreneurs mainly if we take into consideration the fact that Malta hasn’t enough fertile land to produce all what it needs in terms of vegetables and fruits. The Tunisian Mediterranean climate is also the right one to produce according the same taste and specifications the Maltase are familiar with.”
“All observers agree that the future of Tunisia will be better. The choice of the path towards democracy will further strengthen the integration of Tunisia into the global economy through an increased interest of its partners. For 2012 Tunisia registered 123 new foreign projects and 185 extensions of established projects. GDP growth is to reach 3.5% after the fall down of 2011 (-1.88%)”, concluded Mokhtar Chouari at the end of a successful four-day Malta visit.