President Ben Ali receives Minister of Finance
Tunis, October 16, 2008 – President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali received, on Thursday morning, Mr Mohamed Rachid Kechich, Minister of Finance. Within the framework of the follow up of the implementation of reforms in the customs sector, the Head of State recommended to speed up the pace of preparation of the application texts before the enforcement, as of January 1st, 2009, of the customs code.
The President of the Republic also stressed the need to take all the necessary practical and legal dispositions in order to ease foreign trade transactions, in co-ordination with all concerned parties, and reduce deadlines for the collection of goods, in such a manner as to contribute to boosting the competitiveness of national enterprises.
On the other hand, the President of the Republic took cognizance of the practical achievements to create a division of large-scale enterprises within the general customs office, with a view to better guiding these enterprises and helping them accomplish their duties under the best conditions, as well as improving the business environment, in general.
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali also received the annual report of the general finance monitoring office. He highlighted the importance of complementarity between management and monitoring in strengthening the attributes of sound management and contributing to the protection of public finances.
In this context, President Ben Ali emphasised the imperative to grant due importance to the assessment and follow-up operations, improve the efficiency and performance of the public finance management, and preserve the honorable international rankings that Tunisia has received in terms of management of public resources.
The Head of State also focused on the efficiency of the financial market, in light of the fluctuations on the world stage.
In this regard, President Ben Ali recommended to guarantee the thorough follow-up of the evolution of the stock market indicators, and to take the necessary preventive measures, in due time, in such a manner as to help the financial market carry on mobilising the necessary savings and financing resources.
