Tunisia is yet another country suffering the ravages of the price crisis. According to the state-run National Institute of Statistics, food price inflation is at its highest in three decades, at close to 12% this August. Rationing and empty shelves have become commonplace as the government struggles to pay salaries and food subsidies. Countless subsidised staple foodstuffs for Tunisians, are in very short supply.
This year, spending on subsidies is expected to make up about 8% of the country’s GDP – almost twice the share in 2021. In 2010, the currency was at an average of 1.17 dinar to the dollar. Today, the dollar is worth more than 3 dinar. Public debt has increased to the point where it is expected to reach about 83% of the country’s GDP by the end of the year. Unemployment remains stubbornly high. Another factor is state spending on public salaries.
According to a recent statement by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, around 13,500 Tunisian migrants made their way to Italy between January and September. This marks an increase of 23%, or 2,500 people, year-on-year. Ramadan Ben Omar, a spokesperson for the NGO, has no doubt who to hold responsible. "The Tunisian presidency bears full responsibility for the increase of immigration to Europe."
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