The deputy Ali Zaghdoud, member of the Finance Committee of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), states in an exclusive interview granted to Tunisia Numérique that the Minister of Economy and Planning presented a schedule of 32,557 recruitment plans in the public sector for 2027. These figures were communicated during a joint hearing of the ARP’s Finance and Budget commissions and the National Council of Regions and Districts, devoted to the economic budget project for the coming year.
The breakdown announced by ministry
According to the figures presented by Ali Zaghdoud, the distribution of recruitment and regularization plans for 2027 is as follows :
Construction site workers aged over 45 : 5,663 plans to regularize their situation.
Ministry of Education : 5,800 plans.
Ministry of the Interior : 4,736 plans.
Ministry of Health : 4,000 plans.
Ministry of National Defense : 3,704 plans.
Ministry of Higher Education : 1,533 plans, of which 1,000 are devoted to regularizing the status of holders of a doctorate.
Ministry of Agriculture : 1,300 plans.
Ministry of Justice : 1,277 plans.
Ministry of Youth and Sports : 1,000 plans.
Ministry of Finance : 1,000 plans.
Ministry of Employment : 570 plans.
Ministry of Equipment : 412 plans.
Ministry of Family : 280 plans.
Ministry of Social Affairs : 250 plans.
Ministry of Cultural Affairs : 221 plans.
Ministry of Industry and Energy : 106 plans.
Concerns about the economic outlook
According to Zaghdoud, the minister’s presentation mentioned the effects of international developments and geopolitical shifts on oil prices and the cost of maritime transport, as well as their repercussions on the Tunisian trade balance. The deputy indicates that about 60% of the country’s energy needs are imported at market prices.
The minister is also said to have noted an increase in revenue from agricultural products, tourism, and remittances from Tunisians abroad during the first two quarters of 2026. The growth recorded during this period would be between 2.6% and 2.7%, according to figures reported by Zaghdoud.
The deputy nevertheless believes that the presentation did not sufficiently address the indicators for the third and fourth quarters. He regards the electricity and water outages that occurred in July and August as potentially weighing on the trade balance. He also deems the government’s target of 3.1% growth in 2027 unrealistic, given difficulties related especially to employment and purchasing power.
A response awaited on long-term unemployed
Ali Zaghdoud states that the minister did not provide a clear answer on the implementation of Law No. 18 concerning the recruitment of long-term unemployed, nor on the establishment of the platform planned for this purpose. The deputy adds that the law was published in the Official Journal but has not yet been implemented, according to his statements.
Regarding the rise in hydrocarbon prices, Zaghdoud says he asked the minister about the means that allowed the government to keep prices from rising. The minister reportedly replied that the Tunisian economy was capable of facing shocks and adapting to changes. The deputy considered this answer too imprecise.
He noted that the 2026 budget was based on an assumption of $63.3 per barrel, whereas oil prices were above $100 at the time of his statement.
Water and electricity: the deputy’s questions
Regarding drinking water, Zaghdoud reports that the indicator presented by the minister rose from 77.5% to 78%. He considers this improvement limited and not sufficient to address the water supply difficulties affecting 24 governorates in the country.
The deputy also states that the presentation of the 2027 economic budget project did not show any new generators or electricity production projects. He adds that the companies involved have not yet begun to exploit certain concessions approved by Parliament, and that their payoffs would not be expected until 2029 or 2030.
Thus, Zaghdoud calls for placing water and electricity outages, employment, and the decline in purchasing power among the priorities of the State Budget for 2027.
