Opening the Tunisian-Algerian Economic Forum, UTICA President Samir Majoul called for the conclusion of a global free trade agreement between Tunisia and Algeria, aimed at removing customs barriers and non-tariff barriers. He called for an integrated economic framework promoting the flow of capital, businesses and skills between the two countries.
Call for a Tunisian-Algerian common market
Before representatives of the economic circles of the two countries, Majoul proposed an agreement allowing Tunisian and Algerian investors to establish themselves âfreelyâ in all sectors, to access bank financing without distinction, and to benefit from expanded rights of movement, residence, property and investment.
He estimated that the creation of a common economic space would make it possible to remove persistent blockages and give new impetus to bilateral cooperation.
Strategic sectors at the heart of the recovery
The president of UTICA insisted on the need to favor sectors with high added value: agriculture and fishing, agri-food industry, pharmaceuticals, health, energy, renewable energies, cybersecurity, knowledge economy.
He also mentioned traditional sectors which could benefit from a joint effort â public works, automobile components, textiles and clothing, technical textiles, textile accessories, leather, footwear â as well as tourism, the environment, transport and logistics.
Majoul also called for complete liberalization of currencies and economic and tourist transactions, based on a unified exchange rate approved by central banks. He also proposed structuring a tripartite TunisiaâAlgeriaâAfrica partnership to expand the common economic presence on the continent.
According to Majoul, previous bilateral meetings have made it possible to identify numerous avenues for cooperation, but the results remain âbelow the ambitionsâ. He called for exploring new areas of collaboration by capitalizing on the comparative advantages of the two economies and on the trust between the Tunisian and Algerian private sectors.
The automobile, a strategic priority for Algiers
Speaking, the president of the Algerian Council for Economic Renewal (CREA), Kamel Moula, insisted on the importance of strengthening cooperation in the automobile industry, where Tunisia remains a major player.
He recalled that more than 155 Tunisian companies operate in this sector, generating tens of thousands of jobs, thanks to continuous investment in innovation and adaptation to the demands of the international market.
Moula called for the modernization of Algerian SMEs, the adoption of international standards and the establishment of partnership platforms linking manufacturers from the two countries.
He mentioned a common roadmap supported by the Tunisian Association of Automotive Component Manufacturers, the Partnership Exchange, Algerian companies, with the support of UTICA and CREA.
Towards a common industrial and tourist center
The Algerian official stressed that the pooling of efforts in subcontracting could lead to the emergence of a Tunisian-Algerian industrial hub, a creator of jobs and a driver of skills transfer.
On the tourism front, he expressed Algeria’s desire to rely on Tunisian expertise to develop a sector capable of attracting more regional flows. The exchange of experiences and professional training constitute, according to him, a solid basis for building a strategic partnership.
Moula concluded by recalling that this dynamic is part of the roadmap developed jointly by CREA and UTICA, aiming to unite the resources and skills of the two countries. The common objective: to raise the Tunisian-Algerian partnership towards greater economic integration, competitiveness and shared prosperity.
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