By Mariam Meskin
10.45 AM
As its debt-to-GDP ratio inflates and its public finances come under pressure, some have wondered if Tunisia will succumb to a debt restructuring process. But the governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia, Marouane El Abassi, told GlobalCapital that the country is intent on securing new IMF funding as a prerequisite to entering capital markets.
Tunisia found itself in a difficult position when the pandemic
hit last year. While tourism one of the country’s main sources of
revenue dropped, a national lockdown dented economic activity
and increased pressure on public finances.
Its fiscal deficit widened from around 3.5% to 11.5% of GDP in 2020 and its debt-to-GDP ratio jumped 15 percentage points to almost 90%. With most of that debt being in foreign currencies, some market participants fear Tunisia could be in line for debt restructuring.