IslamicFinance.de

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.

Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Ahmed Mohamed Ali said that the group is expected to sign, on Thursday, a strategic co-operation agreement with Tunisia. This agreement will reportedly open new co-operation prospects between Tunisia and several African countries, to which Tunisia could provide assistance in several sectors, whether public or private. An IDB delegation will take part in "Tunisia's Forum on Investment," on June 13-14. Moreover, IDB expressed its will to strengthen relations with Zitouna Bank, the first Islamic bank in Tunisia. Besides, Mr. Mohamed Ali pointed out that IDB is ready to contribute to the support and funding of the micro enterprises' programme, as part of supporting Tunisia's efforts in fighting against poverty.