🇹🇳TunisiaNorth Africa
Houcine Rhili criticizes "recycled decisions" on water crisis
via Business News2 min read
Houcine Rhili, a water resources expert, has criticized the Tunisian government's recently announced measures to secure drinking water supply for the summer and accelerate the 2050 national water strategy. Speaking on Express FM on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Rhili stated that many of the decisions are late and merely rehashes of previously announced measures. He noted that while the goal of ensuring continuous water distribution is legitimate, its implementation is compromised by delays. Rhili suggested such a council meeting should have occurred in February or March, leaving little time for significant impact this summer. He also pointed out that some presented "new" provisions, like mandatory rainwater harvesting in new developments, already exist in earlier texts, citing a 2018 agreement between the Ministries of Equipment and Agriculture. Rhili emphasized that the core issue is not new announcements but effective implementation. He highlighted persistent administrative and institutional blockages in the water sector, questioning the accountability for delays, particularly regarding the reuse of treated wastewater. Rhili noted that despite this issue being on ministerial agendas for over two decades, more than 300 million cubic meters of treated water are annually discharged, a waste incompatible with Tunisia's increasing water stress. These criticisms follow the government's announcement of a 58 million dinar emergency program with 81 projects and an ambitious 74.5 billion
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Tunis on Friday, July 25, to demonstrate against President Kaïs Saïed's administration and demand an end to what they describe as authoritarian rule. The demonstration, held five years after July 25, 2021, saw participants, including political activists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, and civil society figures, march through the streets. They carried Tunisian flags and placards, chanting slogans such as "Freedom!" and "The people want the fall of the regime!" The protesters criticized the government's performance, citing unfulfilled promises of prosperity and social justice, and highlighting issues like shortages, power and water cuts, rising unemployment, declining investment, and the exodus of young people. A central concern for the demonstrators was the erosion of liberties, with complaints about the prosecution of political opponents, lawyers, journalists, and activists, and a perceived climate of fear and instrumentalization of justice. The choice of July 25, which marks both Republic Day and the fifth anniversary of the 2021 power shift, was symbolic for the participants, who believe that democratic gains have eroded over the past five years.
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Google's currency converter displayed the US dollar at approximately 3.96 Tunisian dinars, leading to speculation about a sudden depreciation of the dinar. This figure significantly deviates from the official exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Tunisia BCT, which reported the US dollar at 2.9554 dinars on July 23, 2026. The displayed Google rate represents an approximate 34% difference from the BCT's official rate. Google's converter notes that its data comes from Morningstar and includes a disclaimer, with the displayed value corresponding to data from July 24 at 10:57 PM UTC. A source close to Business News indicated that the BCT has not contacted Google for a correction, emphasizing that Google explicitly states its data provider and includes a disclaimer. Similar anomalies in Google's displayed exchange rates have occurred previously. In 2020, Google briefly showed the euro at 4.8990 Tunisian dinars, prompting the BCT to issue a public statement clarifying that the rate was "totally erroneous" and advising the public to consult its official website or those of Tunisian banks for accurate exchange rate information. The BCT reiterated this advice, emphasizing that online converters are not official sources for exchange rates.
Several civil society organizations in Tunisia are calling for a demonstration on Friday, July 25, 2026, in Tunis, marking both Republic Day and the fifth anniversary of President Kaïs Saïed's political shift on July 25, 2021. The gathering is scheduled for 6 PM at Place de la République Le Passage under the slogan "Enough of the mess!". Organizers issued a severe indictment of the head of state, stating he has governed without effective checks and balances for five years. They criticize the concentration of powers, the absence of a Constitutional Court, the lack of institutional independence, and the decline of public freedoms. The call also highlights unfulfilled presidential promises, including a medical city, penal reconciliation, anti-corruption efforts, regional disparity reduction, subcontracting elimination, and community company development. Organizers believe these commitments have given way to continuous economic and social deterioration. The appeal emphasizes daily difficulties faced by Tunisians, such as water, medicine, and essential goods shortages, persistent unemployment, mass emigration of skilled workers, investment collapse, and a worsening economic crisis. It also criticizes check reform, the gradual disappearance of political and media pluralism, and increased arrests of opponents, activists, and journalists. The authors contend that the government's "achievements" are limited to unannounced presidential visits and populist speeches, while "Tunisians exp