🇹🇳TunisiaNorth Africa
Tunisian Parliament reviews concessions for photovoltaic power plants
via Business News3 min read
On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Assembly of People's Representatives ARP held a study day to examine draft laws concerning the approval of electricity production concessions and their annexes for photovoltaic power plants. Brahim Bouderbala, President of the ARP, emphasized the importance of this session for developing renewable energy. Mohamed Amine Mbarki, President of the Industry Committee, highlighted the accelerating energy transition and the strategic choice it represents for Tunisia's energy independence, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and promoting clean energy. He stressed the central role of solar energy given the country's natural resources and called for a balanced legal framework that combines investment attractiveness, national sovereignty, and public interest protection. Wael Chouchane, Secretary of State for Energy Transition, announced the commissioning of photovoltaic plants in Sidi Bouzid, Kairouan, and Tozeur, with a total capacity of 200 megawatts, to supply the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company. He noted Tunisia's significant energy deficit of approximately 65%, leading to substantial imports, and an estimated deficit of 6.3 million tons of oil equivalent. Energy subsidies reached 7,112 million dinars in 2025, up from 550 million in 2011. The government aims to improve energy independence to 67%, support economic growth by 2%, and reduce carbon intensity by 4.6% annually, with a goal of renewable energy comprising at least 50% of the electricit
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Tunisia and Algeria signed a cooperation agreement on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to enhance coordination and information exchange, particularly in combating money laundering, terrorism financing, and weapons proliferation, in line with international standards. The signing occurred during a visit to Tunisia by a high-level Algerian financial delegation led by Youssef Bouznada, president of the Stock Exchange Operations Organization and Supervision Commission. This visit coincided with the 20th meeting of the Union of Arab Capital Markets Authorities, where Tunisia, represented by Financial Market Council President Hatem Smiri, assumed the organization's presidency. The agreement establishes annual cooperation programs to solidify ongoing coordination and develop bilateral partnership axes. The visit also highlighted Tunisia's experience in financial market regulation, including supervision and control mechanisms, and aimed to strengthen expertise exchange in investor protection, governance, and transparency. This convention aligns with evolving international standards, especially those set by the Financial Action Task Force FATF, to create a more effective and flexible cooperation framework. The goal is to reinforce the integrity and resilience of both countries' financial systems and reduce vulnerabilities to illicit financial flows. Additionally, the Financial Market Council remotely organized the 20th annual meeting of the Union of Arab Capital Markets Authorities, with par
Must ReadTunisia officially took over the presidency of the Union of Arab Financial Market Authorities for the 2026-2027 term on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Hatem Smiri, president of the Financial Market Council, will lead the Union. This appointment followed the Union's 20th annual congress, held remotely with representatives from 16 regulatory authorities across the Arab world, including Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and Gulf countries. Smiri stated that this presidency reflects confidence in Tunisia's financial market and its advanced regional position, acknowledging reforms in supervision and market transparency. The Tunisian delegation highlighted recent regulatory developments in financial control and anti-money laundering efforts. Priorities for the upcoming period include strengthening on-site control, monitoring infractions, and tightening the repressive framework to enhance transparency, restore investor confidence, and boost the Tunisian market's attractiveness for both local and foreign capital. The meeting also addressed strategic issues for Arab markets, such as the 2026-2030 strategic plan to accelerate the integration of Arab capital markets and improve their capacity to finance regional economies. Discussions also covered cross-border financial activities, capital flow management, cybersecurity, and financial technologies. The Union approved a regional self-learning platform for continuous training to strengthen sector skills and support digital transformation, esp
Must ReadA widely shared post on X claiming to rank Africa's largest electricity producers, with Egypt at 62,700 megawatts and South Africa at 61,200 megawatts, followed by Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, Libya, Ethiopia, Angola, Tunisia, and Ghana, has been found to be misleading. The post conflates installed capacity, measured in megawatts, with actual electricity production, measured in kilowatt-hours or gigawatt-hours per year. Installed capacity refers to the theoretical maximum power plants can generate, while actual production depends on factors like infrastructure availability, fuel access, and demand. Public data on annual electricity production indicates that South Africa generally leads the continent in volume, ahead of Egypt, contradicting the viral post's ranking. While Egypt and South Africa do dominate the continent's electricity sector, and their installed capacities are reportedly close to 50,000 MW, the specific figures of 62,700 MW for Egypt and 61,200 MW for South Africa cited in the viral post are not consistently confirmed by official, dated sources. The inclusion of countries like Tunisia, Ghana, or Angola in the top 10 for installed capacity may be plausible depending on the period and data considered, but the viral post lacks specific references, year of data, or methodology. For example, Tunisia's official data shows an installed capacity of approximately 5,944 MW across about twenty power plants, primarily natural gas thermal, with the Tunisian Electricity and Ga
Must ReadTunisia's winter of 2025-2026 was marked by significant climatic contrasts, including floods in January, strong winds at the end of the month, and unusually high temperatures in February, according to a bulletin published by the National Institute of Meteorology INM on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The national average temperature for the winter was 13.7 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees Celsius above the seasonal normal, with all regions recording higher-than-average temperatures. February 2026 was the warmest February recorded in Tunisia since 1950, with monthly average temperatures exceeding climatological normals across all 26 national stations. This unusual warmth was accompanied by low precipitation, creating exceptionally hot and dry conditions for a winter period. In contrast, January 2026 was exceptionally rainy, with national rainfall totals reaching 2,453.4 millimeters, more than double the usual values of 1,118.1 millimeters. Major rainfall events occurred on January 19 and 20, 2026, with several stations recording daily records, including 84 millimeters in Tunis and 143.6 millimeters in Monastir on January 19. New monthly records were also set in January, such as 299.1 millimeters in Nabeul and 254.8 millimeters in Tunis. While northern and coastal cities experienced abundant rainfall, southern and southeastern regions faced a pronounced rainfall deficit. Additionally, an intense windy episode occurred between January 28 and 31, 2026, with gusts reaching 129.6 km/h in Ka