TAP) - 'The energy and mining sector is the lifeline of the national economy,” Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) Noureddine Taboubi said on Saturday, calling for reinstating the ministry of energy.

Speaking to TAP on the sidelines of the trade union forum of the General Union of Petroleum and Chemicals held in Hammamet, Taboubi denounced the decision taken by the government of Youssef Chahed in 2018 to abandon the ministry of energy, mining and renewable energy and attach it to the Ministry of Industry and SMEs.

He, in this vein, questioned the “fate of the corruption case on which the government had based its decision to dismiss the minister from office and remove that ministry.”

Regarding information on the possibility of reducing commodity subsidies, Taboubi said this issue cannot be discussed 'in a Tunisian context marked by a high poverty rate', adding that it requires 'a calm dialogue' to achieve concrete results and a real consensus'.

He said resolving the complex situation of the Tunisian Chemical Group and the Gafsa Phosphate Company requires dialogue, considering that 'solutions to the development of the public sector exist but that they remain dependent on a real political will far from social tensions'.

The trade union leader expressed the hope that 'the next government will learn from the mistakes of previous governments.”

Taboubi reiterated the need to accelerate the formation of the government, especially since 'the country is in a situation of government vacuum impacting on the economic situation', adding that 'the success of the next government would mean success for Tunisia'.

tap.info