The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) supports the development of the information and communication sector in Tunisia.
Under the patronage of Mr. Anouar Maarouf, Minister of Information Technologies and Digital Economy, and in collaboration with the National Federation of ICT and GET IT Tunisia, the EBRD officially launched, Monday 6 February 2017, a package of technical and financial support measures customized to the sector of information and communication technologies in Tunisia.
This initiative is part of the Competitiveness Support Program (PACS), a program financed by the European Union and overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
ICTs have been identified as one of the main priority areas for the EBRD in Tunisia. The Bank contributes to its development through investment and advisory services. With more than 1,800
private companies, the ICT sector is one of the most dynamic sectors in Tunisia and has one of the highest growth rates.
“The digital economy in Tunisia is today one of the undeniable levers of its growth. Similarly, digital culture is one of the liniments of its young democracy and a fertilizer of its participatory citizenship.
In this vein, the Ministry of Communication Technologies and the Digital Economy is making every effort to accelerate its advent. The EBRD, through its program to support the competitiveness of services, is therefore an asset for the sector’s ecosystem, an ecosystem that needs to be enriched by the size, quality and diversity of its services Digital markets and to conquer new markets outside the national territory, “Maarouf said.
“Support to SMEs in the ICT sector is part of the EBRD’s operations in Tunisia. The Bank has already accompanied more than fifty of these companies to access advisory services.
These services include networking with other companies to enable networking between companies in the same sector, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and establishing potential links for import-export, “said Marie -Alexandra Veilleux-Laborie, Head of the EBRD office in Tunisia.
After the launch, the EBRD is organizing a training workshop with the National Federation of ICT and GET IT Tunisia, on February 7 on the theme: “The International Trade Approach”.
The event will bring together stakeholders from the ICT sector to examine concrete solutions in terms of best practices and the development of the information technology market.
Gerry Cahill, an international ICT expert with the EBRD, will speak as moderator of the workshop.
He will present the EBRD Technical Assistance programs and in particular the PACS program and its role in the development of the Tunisian private sector. He will also present the new developments concerning ICT in the international market and the best practices likely to encourage the growth and the sustainability of the ICT sector in Tunisia.
Tunisia became a member of the EBRD in 2012 and to date the Bank has invested over € 350 million in 25 projects in various sectors of the economy.
The Bank also provided technical support to more than 300 small and medium-sized enterprises in Tunisia, including 50 companies in the ICT sector.
