Forward Thinking hold meeting with the EBRD, "Empowering the Private sector in Tunisia", Tunis 18th-19th March 2014

Throughout Forward Thinking's Intra Tunisian Dialogue Process, promoting economic development emerged as an area of shared concern for the country's diverse political parties. Regardless of their political affiliation, participants in the process agree that Tunisia faces a number of  pressing economic challenges, including: tackling high youth unemployment, addressing regional imbalances, and embarking on the structural reforms that will promote sustainable growth.To explore how these issues might be addressed, Forward Thinking worked with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to hold a high level roundtable in Tunis on the 18th-19th of March.  The meeting brought together experts from the EBRD with representatives of the Tunisian central government,  politicians and economists from across the political spectrum, to discuss the initiatives and reforms that Tunisia might adopt to achieve economic development. The meeting was well attended, with participants present from a variety of parties and institutions including: Al-Islah, CPR, Ennadha, Ettakatol, Nidaa Tounes, the Popular Front,  the National Constituent Assembly, the Central Bank, the Office of the Presidency and government ministries.Several key issues were identified, including: reforming the finance and banking sector to enable it to better support entrepreneurs and SMEs; new ways (such as private-public-partnerships) to invest in infrastructure and improve the delivery of municipal services; and how to meet the growing energy demands of Tunisia through promoting energy efficiency and creating an effective regulatory framework. Discussions also focused on how the EBRD could practically support the Tunisian transition, with participants proposing several areas for potential collaboration.