Tunisia Expects Budget Deficit to Fall Below 6 pct/GDP in 2013

Tunisia, which is seeing a pick-up in tourism and other economic sectors as it gradually recovers from last year's political turmoil, expects to cut its budget deficit to below 6 percent of GDP next year as economic growth accelerates. "Tunisia is looking to limit the budget deficit of the state over the next year to 5.9 percent (of gross domestic product) compared with an expected 6.6 percent this year," Finance Minister Salim Besbes told the state news agency. "The government plans to achieve a growth rate of??????? ???????4.5 percent in 2013," he added, reaffirming the government's previously stated growth forecast for next year.

The Tunisian government led by the Islamic Ennahda Party, expects the economy to grow 3.5 percent this year. Besbes said the budget for 2013 will increase by 3.1????? ????? percent from this year. "According to the draft budget, Tunisia budget will reach 26.342 billion dinars in 2013, compared with 25.401 billion dinars in 2012." Last month the central bank governor said Tunisia's budget deficit should narrow to 6 percent next year. Tourism has helped to spur Tunisia's economic recovery after the political upheaval last year that marked the start of the 'Arab Spring', but tourism and other industries that earn foreign currency have been held back by the crisis in the euro zone, the country's major export market.

The North African country has held a steady course on inflation, interest rates and exchange rates even in the turmoil that followed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's ousting in January last year. Central bank Governor Chadli Ayari told Reuters last week that the bank could raise interest rates by 25-50 basis points as early as this month and launch new caps on bank lending in the coming days to rein in inflation, now at 5.6 percent, fuelled by rampant consumption.