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Chinese company Jereh Oil & Gas Engineering Corporation lays off employees in Tataouine, citing nine-month payment delays from Etap
via Business News7 min read
Jereh Oil & Gas Engineering Corporation, a Chinese company, has announced the termination of employment contracts for several staff members, including executives, engineers, and workers, involved in the Tataouine gas project. This decision, communicated in a letter dated April 24, 2026, and revealed by Mustapha Boubakri, a Member of Parliament for Tataouine-South, Bir Lahmar, and Ghomrassen, and a member of the Finance and Budget Committee of the Assembly of People's Representatives, is attributed to financial difficulties. The company explicitly states that the Tunisian national oil company, Entreprise tunisienne d’activités pétrolières Etap, has not made payments for over nine months, leading to a severe cash flow crisis for Jereh Oil & Gas Engineering Corporation. The letter, signed by Zhen Liu, legal representative of the Chinese company, indicates that affected employees will cease work on May 10, 2026, with final settlements available from May 30, 2026. This development raises concerns about the financial stability of strategic energy projects in Tunisia and the relationship between Tunisian public enterprises and their international partners, especially given Tunisia's increasing energy dependence, which reached 64% by the end of February 2026.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
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