Budget to reach $9 billion next year

The Tunisian Minister of Finance Mohamed Al Garie expected that the Tunisian budget for 1998 will increase to $9 billion compared to $8 billion in 1997. He added that taxes are the main source of money for the budget as they are expected to reach $4.7 billion in addition to the income from oil and gas, the profits from state-owned organizations, grants, and the money of the social funds which could reach $1 billion.

Al Garie said that the rest of money of the budget comes from the internal borrowing worth $2.3 billion and external borrowing worth of $977 million. He also said that the budget lost an important source after some customs duties were gradually canceled. The amount of the custom duties which were canceled in 1996 reached $150 million and increased to $741 million in the current year.