Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked the economy minister on Tuesday and appointed the finance minister to the role on an interim basis, the presidency announced without giving any explanation. In a brief statement published on its official website, the presidency said that the head of state “has decided to terminate the duties of the minister of economy and planning, Samir Saied”. The Minister of Finance, Sihem Boughdiri, has been given the task of “temporarily” taking over his duties, the statement added, without giving any further details.
The move comes as the country is going through an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. Inflation reached 9.3 percent in August and growth in the second quarter did not exceed 0.6 percent, according to official figures. With a debt equivalent to around 80 percent of its GDP, Tunisia is engaged in long negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to obtain a new loan of $2 billion to cover its budget deficit.
