Tunisia: Donors support PPP bill amid local opposition

Public works, housing and planning minister Mohammed Salah Arfaoui used a 1 June meeting with a visiting International Monetary Fund delegation to underline the government’s determination to push ahead with public-private partnerships (PPPs). The PPP bill has met tougher-than-expected opposition during its passage through the National Assembly – it is strongly supported by international financial institutions, but is seen by Tunisian opponents as too favourable to foreign investors. A 21 May hearing on the bill by the assembly’s finance committee saw its deputy chairman Mohsen Hassan attack government representatives, calling for further scrutiny and amendments of the sort donors will not approve.