NO MARMITE IN TUNISIA

30th November 2007

The renovation program of the Little Sicily zone neighbouring the port of Tunis is inscribed in the greater project of renovation relative to the urban rehabilitation of the capital.

   
        The Multi-National Transport Station                                             The Tunis Gate

The big orientations of the Little Sicily project were defined in the wake of the consultation held in the Tunisian advising Bureau. A special committee composed of councillors in a collaboration with the architects from the ministry of planning, habitat and fittings, have chosen the model of Mr Ahmed Ouerdani who took consideration of the project’s operational and application side.

On January the first 2008 the dismantling of trade tariffs with the European Union will be completed.  Electronic consumer goods, shoes….etc, imported from the EU will be completely exonerated from customs duties!

However, the Tunisian consumer will cultivate little or no benefit!

This is due to two main reasons, the first is that the largest taxes levied by customs have already been dismantled quite a while ago, and the second is that certain products will be subject to other type of taxes such as consumption and VAT which have nothing to do with customs duties, in addition the strength of the Euro will make any gains seem negligible and irrelevant.  It is worth noting that the dismantling process has started since 1996 with 96% of the process already accomplished.  The first of January will merely be the completion date of the remaining 4%.

The free-trade agreement signed with the European Union aims primarily at the instauration of a free-trade zone and secondly at the establishment of a technique and financial cooperation between the two, the EU and Tunisia.  This agreement is “asymmetrical”, introduced since 1996 it exonerates all Tunisian products exported to the European Union and anticipates a process of negotiations for the progressive dismantling of trade tariffs on a list of four products constituting Tunisia’s imports from the European Union.  These are,

• Fabric raw materials (cotton products)
• Industrial equipments (electrical equipments)
• Half finished products which total 29.5% of imports
• The products which are manufactured in Tunisia but are not competitive in the face of products manufactured in Europe. These products will benefit of 4 years period of extended grace. 

The anticipated Tuniso-European technical and financial cooperation permits Tunisia to gain a competitive edge through the establishment of its industry and the implementation and the re-enforcement of its socio-economic fabric.

23rd November 2007

The island of Zembra in the north east of the country and just off the Cap Bon peninsula, is the latest area to catch the development hysteria already gripping large parts of the country!

Chinese developer Li Ruo Hong has met up with the President of the Republic in the Presidential Palace of Carthage to unveil the project which the Chinese international investment group is planning to set on the island.

The group is proposing to build a touristic resort which will be directed towards environmental and health tourism.  A preliminary design of the project was shown to the head of state.  The development will be erected on one part of the island creating a top of the range tourist activity combined with top of the range health project to encourage the flourishing and ever growing health tourism trend, while preserving the island’s natural beauty and ecological specificities.  In particular, attention will be paid in protecting its sites already classified by the UNESCO as world heritage.

The project is expected to generate a large number of jobs in the tourism and health sectors and contribute to the drive towards the diversification of the tourism product within the country.

18th November 2007

The project will generate approximately 140,000 jobs in favour of young Tunisians.

Mr Mohamed Al Gargaoui, the minister in charge of the affairs of the council of ministers in The United Arab Emirates and president of the “Dubai Holding Group” has indicated that the works on the realisation of the “ Portail de la Medeterranee”, “ The City of the Century” on the southern shores of the lake Windermere in Tunis will start in the next coming months, after finishing off the project’s model in two months the first towers will be completed in the first two years.  "The project will generate approximately 140,000 jobs in favour of young Tunisians," he claimed.

Mr Al Gargaoui, has affirmed at a press conference held in Tunis, that the choice of Tunisia for the realisation of this mega-project, came as concretisation to the prospective vision of the President Of the Republic, which envisages Tunisia as an international centre of services and affairs and to boost economic activities in favour of a bigger attraction to investors and multinational companies.

He also affirmed that Tunisia, dispose of all the necessary tools and criteria to become a regional economic centre promoter, owing to its privileged geographic location which is in effect a portal to numerous destinations as well as the favourable and propitious climate of investment which reigns, and the availability of highly qualified human competences. The Emirati minister has also noted that the “ Portail de la Mediterranee” project will take into account a number of local factors such as the architectural stamp of the country, and the social and cultural aspects in view of permitting their insertion into their environment, he expresses that, they will be based on advanced technologies. He also emphasises that the construction of the towers will be the most intelligent and the most modern in the world.

He has made it known that, “Sama Dubai” a subsidiary of “ Dubai Holding” will be investing 14 billion Dollars in the construction of the new city which will cover an area of 830 hectares. It is estimated that an in-flux of around one billion Dollar a year on average will be going into the construction of the project.

The mega-project will include gigantic sky scrapers, complexes of luxurious hotels, commercial spaces, parks as well as 14 kilometres (just over 9 miles) of boulevards and promenades overlooking the sea, cultural, sports and recreational centres in addition there will be a number of commercial and economic complexes constructed to conform with the environmental needs of the area.

The city will be linked to the capital via an excellent road network. This integral, futuristic and ultra-modern city will provide habitation for 300,000 to 500,000 dwellers, and will attract thousands of visitors every day!

Lake Windermere: The general plan of development

16th November 2007

Audinet Tunisie has exclusively published Mr Antonino Galloni’s intervention at an international conference held recently in Kiedrich Germany.

The region of Sicily’s ENEA has recently presented the government with a construction project aiming at the creation of an under sea tunnel linking the town of Pizzolato in the province of Trapani, Sicily, and the Cap-Bon north east of Tunisia.

"Modern technologies could guarantee us the results we want to achieve (the distance is estimated to be 60 kilometres).  As to the details of the project, the engineers have proposed the creation of four passage islands which will be constructed using excavation products.  Also the islands will be achieving economies of scale on one hand in the elimination of the debris.  On the other, the investors could re-utilise the islands after the realisation of the project.  The ways of exploiting the islands could vary from habitation to fishing and tourism.  The islands could become an active money-making scheme!"

TripAdvisor has elected Djerba as the best destination to visit in 2008.

This American travel guide is internationally renown in the field of annual opinion poles, TripAdvisor has also reported that travellers in 2008 have firstly appreciated the resorts which are clean and have respected their environment. The island of dreams has answered the circumstances of these expectations, and it is its characteristics which earned it the title of the “premier emergent destination in the world”

In the list of rankings, Djerba was followed by the touristic sites of Makandi (Egypt), Phangnga (Thailand), Kovalam (India), Saboudia (Italy), Asilah (Morocco), Ko Phangan (Thailand), la Plagne (France), Yangshuo (China) and Kotor (Montenegro). This distinction comes as no surprise as the island remains head and shoulders above all other Tunisian tourist destinations. It is a new testament which is added to the already busy and bustling Djerban march towards perfection…Meanwhile, this ranking will be an eye-wink to the authorities in charge of tourism who should take notice and turn their attention towards the other regions of the country which enjoy an important touristic potential but have yet to conveniently emerge.

Tunisia will be present at the salon of the World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition in London which will be held from the 12 until the 15 of November. The announcement came in a communiqué issued by the Office Nationale du Tourisme Tunisien (ONTT).

The World Travel Market salon is in its 28^th edition. It is one of the world’s biggest rendez-vous of global tourism. Over five thousand participant venues representing 202 countries and 48,000 visitors will attend the event. Tunisia will mark its presence with a 150 square metre stand shared between several regional modules, an area will be allocated to the national civil aviation companies (Tunisair, Nouvelair and Karthago Airlines), another for the Tunisian tour operators and an area for the inter-professionals meetings.

In the same manner and just like all the other fairs and salons that the ONTT participated at, the World Travel Market represents a promotional opportunity of great value for the national tourism, which will allow it to unveil the richness and diversity of the Tunisian offer.

Perhaps it is worth mentioning that Great Britain is one of the most important and transmitting markets for Tunisia.

The United States embassy has announced, that a delegation of US businessmen will be visiting the country from the 8^th until the 12 of November. The prime objective of their mission is the re-launch of the American investment, which currently remains timid.

“The delegation of American businessmen is the first to visit Tunisia for fifteen years. Equally, it is the first mission sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce, the biggest business organisation in the United States”, declared the embassy.

The expected American visitors represent companies in various activities such as civil engineering, architecture, public relations/communications, microfinance as well as a big group of international commerce.

The embassy explains, that currently US companies and investors are ignorant of the Tunisian market potentials. “ The objective of both, American and Tunisian governments as well as the Tunisian private sector, is to make them ( the business delegation ) appreciate the opportunities that exist and to stimulate American investment in Tunisia”.

"The report on Anglo-Tunisian cooperation shows that progress does not appear to be moving forward at the desired speed, due to the reticence of the Tunisian officials who seem to be reluctant to take the process further ahead,” exclaimed Alan Goulty, the ambassador of Great Britain in Tunis.

As far as trade is concerned, Alan Goulty has noted a stagnation if not a recoil between Tunisia And Great Britain and he has the commercial numbers to prove it!

“British exports to Tunisia were valued at 68.1 million Pounds in regression of 32% for the first eight months of 2007 as compared to the same period of 2006 while imports were valued at 102 million Pounds, a drop of 2.2% as compared to the same period,” he claimed.

Moreover, there is a reduction in the number of Tunisians visiting the UK and vice-versa. 3785 visas were accorded to Tunisian nationals during the course of the first ten months of this year.

According to Mr Goulty, a number of initiatives were presented to the Tunisian officials which remain no more than “dead letters!"   He gave the example of the proposition to air the BBC radio on FM in Tunisia.

"The British initiatives exist, but it is the Tunisian side which is lacking in substance!" he exclaimed.  “Perhaps the officials who I get to meet are not skillful enough to expose new ideas!" He added.

The British diplomat seems persuaded that Tunis and London could do better to account for a more constructive debate with the Tunisian officials to exploit and re-enforce the avenues of cooperation.

Alan Goulty has announced a visit of the Tunisian foreign affairs minister to London before the end of the year. The ambassador has also announced that Ford, representative of the car makers Jaguar and Land Rover will soon be opening a maintenance and parts sales services in Tunisia.

In the same vain and away from the Tunis area, it seems that the north of the country will be the beneficiary of a major project similar to the one by the lake.

The Italian investment group Preatoni has presented the President of the Republic, through its president Mr Ernesto Preatoni, at a meeting at the Presidential Palace of Carthage, with its plan to realize a major tourist and ecological development.  Various data were presented to the President of the Republic including sketches of the project which targets essentially high quality tourism, respecting the environmental specificities of the region.

The project will include residential areas, hotels beach units, leisure centres, a marina as well as the creation of a reserve sanctuary for certain animals. The project should generate roughly 30,000 jobs not to mention the boost it will give to the dynamics of development within the area.

5th November 2007

After the huge cash injection of 14 billion Dollars by the Emirati investment group Sama Dubai in its mega construction project of the new city on the southern shores of the Lake Windermere in Tunis, Les Berges du Lac Sud, a net sum which surpasses the whole of the Tunisian government's budget, (roughly estimated to be 11 billion Dollars), comes the turn of the northern shores of the lake!

On Friday, 2nd November 2007, the go ahead of yet another mega project on the northern shores of the lake was officially launched by the President of the Republic.

The Tunis Sports City will comprise, several sports academies of different disciplines ( football, tennis, handball, volleyball, basketball, athletics, gymnastics, swimming ), three golf clubs, tennis and water sports as well as a residential , administrative and commercial complexes.  Recreation facilities for tourists are also planned! 

The residential complex will include, private schools, private hospitals and clinics.  Also to be constructed are, 5 star luxury hotels, of international standards,  a commercial complex, a mosque, libraries, recreational parks and beautifully designed villas for habitation…

The United Arab Emirates investment group Boukhater, has earmarked five billion dollars for the realisation of the project, which will cover an area of 255 hectares and is scheduled to be accomplished in five to six years.