Tunisia: Marzouki Calls on Islamic, West African Banks to Back Up Tunisian Economy

Caretaker President Moncef Marzouki this week received presidents and directors of Islamic banks of West Africa. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the national economy, boost investment and find ways to finance small and medium enterprises in Tunisia (SMEs). The President of the Republic on Monday commended the signature of a strategic draft agreement between the Zitouna Bank and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to create a specialised joint institution in Islamic micro-finance that would allow both partners to expand to Africa. He insisted on the need to speed up legal reforms in the finance field to allow Tunisian banks to integrate in Africa and overcome challenges. The IDB will contribute to the Tunisian government's programmes to meet the challenges of employment, fight against poverty and regional development.