The President of the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) Taieb Bayahi has warned that Tunisia as a state could collapse.
He said, “the current economic situation does not allow us to waste any more time. The International Economic Forum defines the collapse of a state by its inability to implement its policy and impose its law which is currently the case in Tunisia”.
“Tunisia has been experiencing a difficult economic situation since 2011”, said IACE President in an interview with local media.
“In a report published this month, the forum ranked Tunisia among the five countries threatened by the spectre of the collapse of the state, like Lebanon, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Peru”, he said.
Bayahi added, “all indicators show that the national economy is dying.”
The same report says that Tunisia will face multiple risks in the next two years, including the collapse of the state, debt, unemployment.
Tunisia will also suffer from continued economic stagnation and the proliferation of informal economic activity, the reports claimed.
To prevent this risk, Bayahi called for a social and economic constitution to be put in place.
He noted financial constraints and urgent economic needs cannot wait for a political roadmap and a new political regime.
According to him, this constitution must go beyond the definition of a social contract and enshrine an economic vision and choices that are subject to consensus.
He stressed that all institutions should be called upon to implement this constitution.
Bayahi revealed that the Institute will soon publish a political roadmap based on three axes.
The first axis foresees the need to find a national consensus around the reforms to be implemented in order to be able to engage in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This would allow Tunisia to leave the international market, said the official.
The agreement must be found in the first six months of 2022, he said.
The second axis should be about not letting the political aspect take precedence over the economic one, he noted.
The importance of overcoming political conflicts, and finding a new strategy for national unity and political transition would be the third axis, said Bayahi.