Economist Moez Joudi on Tunisia's ongoing price increases and economic imbalances
Economist Moez Joudi stated on Thursday, August 6, 2026, that the current wave of price increases in Tunisia is not an isolated event but a consequence of long-standing price control policies. He believes these increases will continue until fundamental economic imbalances are resolved. Joudi explained on Facebook that successive governments since 2011 have tried to contain price hikes by capping prices, reducing profit margins, and freezing tariffs for several public companies. He noted that this price freeze weakened public enterprises like Pharmacie Centrale, Société Tunisienne de l'Électricité et du Gaz Steg, and Société Nationale d'Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux Sonede. These entities were forced to sell at a loss, incur debt, and await state compensation while their production, supply, and import costs rose. This situation progressively undermined their financial stability, making their economic model unsustainable, with some now facing bankruptcy. Joudi attributes the current "explosion" of prices to this sustained pressure. He warns that the price increases will continue amid insufficient economic growth, limited wealth creation, and declining purchasing power. He suggests this situation could have been avoided through policies promoting investment, production, improved competitiveness, innovation, and planned reforms. Joudi also called for abandoning "outdated and sterile ideologies" and adopting greater openness in mindsets and practices. He criticized publ