Tunis, 26 September 2025 (ECA) – The ECA office for North Africa concluded on Thursday 25 September in Tunis a two-day regional workshop on “Remittances from Tunisians Residing Abroad, Investments and Contribution to Financing Development in Tunisia,” organised in partnership with the Tunisian Ministry of Economy and Planning.
The workshop aimed to present Tunisia’s new experience in national planning and the mainstreaming of remittances into the Five-Year, 2026-2030, National Development Plan as alternative source of funding for national development. Participants assessed the existing regulatory and institutional framework and the matrix of policy reforms included in the upcoming national plan with the goal of channelling remittances into investment.
The workshop was also an opportunity to present the experiences and good practices of other African countries in maximising the contribution of remittances into the financing of national development, as well as strengthen South-South cooperation and collaboration among African countries.
The workshop brought together 60 participants, including representatives from the multi-sectorial national technical working group, key ministries and institutions, international and UN system organizations, representatives from Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Ghana, and partners in ECA's programme on “Strengthening the Migration-Development Nexus in Africa”.
“Tunisia is relying on its diaspora more than ever: remittances from Tunisians living abroad are expected to increase by 6.4% in 2026, reaching approximately 7.9 billion Tunisian Dinars. This can be a significant source of funding for national development. The upcoming five-year, 2026-2030 National development Plan acknowledges this for the first time, with ECA’s support”, said Lotfi Fradi, Head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Planning.
“This will require establishing the adequate framework and tools. The policy reforms matrix discussed during this workshop will help optimize the institutional and regulatory framework in order to channel remittances towards productive investment, develop adequate financial instruments, and facilitate investment projects for Tunisians living abroad”, he added.
“In 2024, our organisation, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), launched a multi-country programme with a focus on remittances and diaspora contributions as powerful drivers of sustainable development. Countries like Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Comoros, Ghana and Lesotho have successfully demonstrated that their diasporas’ contributions are not only a lifeline for households but that they can also be a viable pathway to national development,” said Adam Elhiraika, Director of the ECA Office for North Africa.
“Tunisia’s experience in mainstreaming remittances into the national development plan as source of funding for development, and the policy reform matrix it has developed serves here as a model in our region. ECA remains fully committed to supporting Tunisia and other Member States in harnessing the full potential of remittances and channelling it towards productive investment,” he added.
Media queries: Houda Filali-Ansary, Communications Officer, ECA Office for North Africa
E-mail: filali-ansary@un.org
Issued by:
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