馃嚬馃嚦TunisiaNorth Africa
Tunisian Parliament debates new loan for phosphate rail modernization amid sector challenges
via Business News6 min read
The Tunisian Parliament is reviewing a 153 million dinar loan from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development AFESD to modernize railway lines for phosphate transport. This initiative, debated on April 21, 2026, aims to renew and upgrade rail infrastructure in Gab猫s, Gafsa, and Sfax, covering approximately 190.5 kilometers of tracks. While the loan seeks to streamline phosphate delivery, reduce logistics costs, and enhance competitiveness, parliamentary discussions have highlighted deeper, persistent issues within the phosphate sector. During commission hearings, leaders from the Gafsa Phosphate Company CPG and the Tunisian Chemical Group GCT emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive upgrades across production, transport, and processing. However, deputies raised concerns about the effectiveness of previous loans and the absence of a clear, integrated recovery strategy. The Director General of CPG acknowledged that past investments had not yielded expected results and admitted to a lack of a clear program for renewing the phosphate wagon fleet. A significant point of contention was the discrepancy in production figures for 2025; CPG reported 3.9 million tons, while the President of the Finance and Budget Committee, Maher Kettari, cited figures closer to one million tons. This disparity raises questions about transparency and the economic rationale for investing heavily in rail transport if production remains low. The GCT's Director General also revealed that the grou
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Private channel Telvza TV announced on Monday, July 20, 2026, the suspension of its broadcast until further notice. The channel's general director, Zouhir Latif, stated on Facebook that this decision was made due to "continuous pressure" from the National Office of Television Broadcasting ONT and the lack of response from authorities regarding the challenges faced by private media. Latif accused the ONT of "permanent harassment" and "blackmail," though he did not specify the exact nature of the disputes. He also noted that various institutions, including the Presidency of the Republic, the Presidency of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, Parliament, and the Ministry of Communication Technologies, did not respond to the channel's requests or mediate. Latif indicated that the broadcast would remain suspended until an official authority agrees to engage with them. Neither the ONT nor the authorities mentioned have officially reacted to Telvza TV's accusations. The channel did not specify if the suspension is immediate or the conditions for resuming its programs, with future developments depending on official reactions or dialogue between parties.
Tunisia's natural gas resources, which include national production and fiscal revenue from Algerian gas transit, reached 698 thousand tons of oil equivalent TOE by the end of May 2026. This represents a 14% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, according to the economic report for May 2026 published by the National Observatory of Energy and Mines Onem. While national production of commercial dry gas remained stable year-on-year, with increases in the Nawara and Chergui fields by 10% and 26% respectively, and a 5% rise in commercial gas production in the south, the Hasdrubal field saw a 17% production decrease. The fiscal revenue from Algerian gas transit fell by 33% by the end of May 2026, settling at 225 thousand TOE. Of this, 87% was transferred to the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company Steg, with the remainder for export. Onem noted that in 2025, Steg withdrew 240 million cubic meters of gas beyond the quantities due to the Tunisian state from this revenue, a situation still being regularized. Algerian gas purchases increased by 8% between May 2025 and May 2026, reaching 1.143 million TOE, while national natural gas supply remained stable at 1.812 million TOE. Total natural gas demand also remained stable at 1.807 million TOE, with electricity production being the primary consumer, accounting for 65% of total demand. The report also highlighted a 3% improvement in the efficiency of power plants, with specific consumption decreasing to 195.3 TOE per gigawatt-hour,
Spain has been crowned world champions again, securing their second World Cup title by defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute. This victory marks Spain's return to the pinnacle of global football, 14 years after their first triumph in South Africa. The Spanish team dominated the match, maintaining 68% possession, completing 803 passes with 90% accuracy, and registering 20 shots, 11 of which were on target. In contrast, Lionel Messi's Argentina struggled offensively, managing only two shots, neither on target. The turning point came in extra time of the second half when Argentine midfielder Enzo Fern谩ndez was sent off, leaving his team with ten players for the remainder of the match. This success celebrates a new generation of Spanish players, including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Rodri, and Ferran Torres, who upheld Spain's possession-based football philosophy. Lionel Messi was unable to secure another world title, as Spain controlled the final from start to finish.