Tunisian government announces measures for diaspora, focusing on transport and digitalization
via Business News5 min read
The Tunisian government held a ministerial council on April 25, 2026, chaired by Head of Government Sarrah Zaafrani Zenzri, to improve transport services and modernize administrative, digital, and customs services. This initiative aligns with President Kaïs Saïed's directives, aiming to enhance citizen mobility, simplify administrative procedures, and strengthen the digitalization of public services, with a goal to complete the digital transformation of the administration by 2026. The council emphasized improving air, sea, and land transport sectors, recognizing them as economic and social pillars. Special attention was given to preparing for the summer season and the return of Tunisians residing abroad. Measures for the diaspora include reduced fares and easier booking on Tunisair flights and CTN – Tunisian Navigation Company crossings. These provisions encompass preferential rate tickets, improved baggage allowances, flexible modification or cancellation options, and special offers for families and students, alongside reaffirmed early booking programs and reduced-price family packages. The council also focused on accelerating the digitalization of public services, with plans to generalize online procedures in consular, customs, and services for Tunisians abroad. Announced projects include the dematerialization of civil status records, generalized online consular appointments, digital platforms for customs and border police services, and the digitization of vehicle-related p
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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